The Wrong Choice
by LilyRose Blue
Summary: Mark and Callie share a passionate night together and they both decide they want more. But has that decision been taken out of their hands?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story starts off with a voice over from Callie and then moves into present. After that the story moves into a flashback that continues until that past meets up with the present. Part of the text is repeated at the end where the two sync up. I would love all comments on this story. Let me know if you think it is good enough to keep going.

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_Callie's voice: Life is made up of choices and the choices that we make can forever change the path we are on in life. Some choices are little…and some are major but they all make changes in our lives even if they are imperceptible to begin with. But what do you do when you figure out that you made the wrong choice? _

_[Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital]_

_Mark ran into the hospital still in his pajama bottoms, t-shirt, and a pair of untied gym shoes. His eyes were wide with worry. He went straight for the operating room. Derek had told him what OR she was in when he called him at home. Mark burst into the operating room. He had to be there. He needed to be there with her. He stood there in shock as she flatlined on the operating table. "Calllie!" screamed Mark._

_Chief Webber looked at the disheveled and distraught man. "Get him out of here!" yelled Webber as he and Owen Hunt worked to save Callie's life. Webber was covered in Callie's blood._

_Derek ushered his friend out of the operating room. He didn't need to see her like that. "Mark! This is a sterile zone..." That was the only excuse that Derek could come up with at the moment. He forced Mark out of the operating room and into the hallway. And then he saw something he hadn't seen in a very long time. _

_Mark's eyes filled with tears, his fears being realized. Mark slid down the wall and sat on the floor not being able to look at Derek. "I can't lose her…it is better being single in pairs." muttered Mark repeating something Callie had said to him recently. "I can't lose her." repeated Mark. "I love her…."_

[6 Hours Earlier]

Callie laid awake next to a slumbering Mark Sloan. She had done it again…at the end of a terrible relationship she had ended up in the arms and the bed of Mark Sloan. Callie pulled the sheet up over her ample bosom for modesty and also because it was a little chilly. She looked over at Mark sleeping so peacefully and her brain screamed at her *How the hell can he sleep so peacefully after what we've done?* And yet there he was appearing like he didn't have a care in the world. She reached over and lightly smoothed her hand over his bare chest. Her finger gently traced the outline of his abs. She shifted the sheet and looked underneath at the offending party. That 'thing' was the cause of all of this in Callie's opinion. She was sure that his laudable talents in bed were the reason she so often found herself in his bed after a break up. She snickered to herself and slid her hand down over his manhood; yes there were definitely perks to being with Mark. She pulled her hand away and dropped the sheet back down and went back to looking at him.

She couldn't lie about the fact that she cared for this man in ways that she didn't altogether understand. Sometimes being with him made her weak in the knees and other times it just warmed her heart and made her realize how lucky she really was to have met him in the bar that first night. Callie mentally kicked herself for violating her number one rule…never say you love someone during sex. But last night she had said it not once but twice. And she had meant it both times. She didn't know how she'd be able to look Mark in the eyes. She analyzed his face as he slept: his strong and angled jaw, his perfectly trimmed facial hair that always seemed to tickle her when they were in the throes of making mad passionate love, his perfect eyebrows that seemed to always give him a devilish countenance, and his ears he had such perfect ears. Her finger lightly traced his lobe. She snickered to herself. Or maybe it was the way that Mark truly cared about her. She could remember him taking her boots off of her last night and tucking her in on the couch. In fact Mark had been a gentleman it was Callie that had propositioned him in the kitchen. And he had taken her right there on the kitchen floor and twice more in his bed. Callie felt a very familiar tingle between her thighs as she thought about last night. She shook her head knowing that if she thought about it too long she would wake Mark up for an encore.

Callie moved the sheet gingerly away from her body and tried to slip out of the bed with her dignity intact. As she went to move she felt a strong arm flop across her mid-section and then a leg flopped over her leg effectively pinning her to the bed. Callie glanced over at Mark with wild and suspicious eyes. Was he awake and trying to keep her from fleeing? Or was he fast asleep and this was just a horrible coincidence? Callie peered over at Mark's face trying to see if he was awake but was rewarded with only soft snores leaving his mouth as his chest lightly heaved in his sleep. Callie was resigned to laying there and going back to sleep or she'd have to move his arm and leg and risk waking him up. And if he was awake that would mean a conversation about why she was trying to leave his bed. That was one conversation she was far too hung over to have. So instead Callie curled up body up against Mark's nude form and closed her eyes tiredly. "I don't know how you do it Mark…you make me love you."

Mark was doing his best not to smirk at Callie's defeat. Hearing the words love float from her lips felt strange to him. He knew that she was trying to escape his bed and him. But he would not allow that this morning. It had been a very long time since he had enjoyed the bounty that was Callie's curvaceous body and he was not about to let her slink from his bed in shame before he was treated with another romp in the sack. But he knew he also had to play his cards right, she was sure to protest she always did when she was sober enough to care. So instead of making his move he laid there with his arm and leg trapping her in bed with him.

Mark had been awake for 30 minutes longer than Callie. He had been watching her sleep until he realized that she was starting to wake up. So much had happened to the both of them they had both been in other relationships and yet they always seemed to find their way back to one another. In a sexual way that is… and in his mildly hung over state Mark was willing to think of the possibilities. He was willing to think of what life would be like with Torres as his steady….something. And that was the trouble. He didn't know what he wanted Callie to be and he certainly couldn't ask her to be his something. He would incur a wrath that few had ever seen before. No…he couldn't say anything until he knew what he wanted her to be and in the meantime he had to stop her from finding a new relationship with a woman or a man. Mark had to chuckle to himself Callie was definitely going to be a challenge. She was an attractive, confident, successful woman she'd have a lot of people interested in her and he'd have to find a way to keep them all away. So Mark's plan was to ply her with as much sex as either one of them could take. Who knew that Mark planning a celebration for Derek at Joe's bar would have ended with Callie in his bed yet again? Now he just had to make sure he was able to keep her there longer than the morning, but for now he needed sleep too. He closed his eyes tiredly surrendering to his exhaustion.

Callie slept for another three hours before she woke up again. She groaned softly and realized that Mark's body parts were still trapping her in the bed but now Mark's eyes were open and he was grinning at her like Cheshire cat. Callie said "I am glad that you are awake…you can let me out of bed. I feel a bit like a caged animal." said Callie laughing softly.

"A caged animal?" asked Mark with a chuckle. "You looked rather comfortable while you were asleep." Mark said "No…I don't think I can let you out of the bed. I think we have a problem." Mark smirked a little pressing against her more. Mark slid his hand down her abdomen and started teasing her some with his fingers.

"Problem? What problem?" asked Callie. She paused feeling his hardened manhood pressed against her bare thigh and her eyes widened and her mouth fell open a little. Callie laughed softly and said "Oh no no no. I asked you for sexual sorbet…last night. You said I needed a sexual palate cleanser after my break up…we did that last night…three times." said Callie. She gasped feeling his fingers. "Mark!"

Mark chuckled at her expression and rolled them over so that he was on top of her. He tossed the sheet that had been covering both of them to the floor. "Like it or not Torres we are good together and we are never better together than when I am between your legs…like so." Mark's hands went to her thighs pulling them apart and he nestled himself between them. He leaned in and kissed her softly as he teasingly rubbed himself against her opening. "You know you want to. You are just resisting because you think it is the right thing to do."

Callie bit her lip to stop a moan from slipping from her lips as Mark nestled himself between her legs. "Last night was a onetime only sort of thing."

Mark said "Mmmhmm…which is why you tried to sneak out of bed this morning…where were you going by the way?" He laughed since Callie had moved in with him so it wasn't as if she could have left his apartment. Mark kissed her neck and then moved down to her breasts. He linked their fingers together and moved her hands over her head. He gently thrust against her and winked. "You felt me up too." said Mark with a smirk.

Callie's eyes narrowed and she frowned in mock anger. "You were awake?" asked Callie looking at him. She tried to free her hands from his grip. "You are such a bastard Sloan!" said Callie laughing a little. "I was going to go sleep on the couch…" She bit her lip trying to suppress a moan.

Mark chuckled and said "Yes, I was awake the entire time. You were so gently and loving. I thought you were going to screw me while I was asleep. So why are you trying to run away from me? You know I'll always catch you Torres."

"Just shut up and kiss me Sloan." said Callie kissing Mark. Mark inspired a special brand of passion deep inside of her. He knew just the right things to say to her.

Mark smirked knowing he had hit a button. He wanted to question her more but his lower half was urging him to shut up and make love to the beautiful woman lying under him. Mark let out a guttural groan as he slipped inside of Callie. Mark's head was pounding from the hangover but he intended to savor this moment with Callie. Mark moved in slow deliberate strokes watching Callie's face contort in ecstasy. Mark smirked seeing he affect he was having on her at the moment. He sped up his movements eliciting louder moans from Callie.

Callie's moans grew to a fevered pitch as she curled her legs around his body pulling him closer against her. The two of them thrashed around in the heat of passion until they both arrived at an earth-shattering climax. Callie panted attempting to catch her breath. "I swear you need to publish a book on your techniques Sloan. You are amazing."

Mark kissed her and said "Oh yeah another satisfied customer." He laughed and then kissed her again. He rolled to his side and collected her into his arms. "Why are you trying to run away from me?" asked Mark looking at her.

"What are you talking about? I didn't even move." said Callie confused. She was too busy basking in the afterglow to even think about moving.

"No…I mean earlier…" said Mark chuckling. He lightly brushed the hair away from her face. "This haircut is sexy you know that….."

"Do we have to talk about this right now? You know why anyway…why do we have to say it out loud?" asked Callie frowning. She poked her lip out a little. "Can't we just lay here together and be comfortable?"

Mark said "We are laying here and we both appear to be quite comfortable. We had sex there is nothing wrong with that right?"

Callie laughed and said "Of course nothing is wrong with that. I like having sex with you….hence why it has happened so many times. What is your point?"

"My point is if you aren't ashamed of the sex then why are you trying to sneak out of the bed?" asked Mark with a smirk.

She frowned and said "Because I am embarrassed about what I said to you last night…do you remember what I said while we were having sex?"

Mark laughed and said "You said a lot of things…most of which were telling me how good it felt." Mark knew what she was talking about. He vividly remembered her saying that she loved him but he knew saying he remembered would just make things worse. "Do you remember that time you had chicken pox?"

Callie relaxed feeling better knowing that he didn't remember what she said. Callie made a face at him. "Yes, I do…I was so miserable…but then you showed up in my room and laid in my bed with me and rubbed me down and it made the itching feel so much better. You really took care of me…you always do. I don't know how I got so lucky to find a friend like you."

He smirked and said "You picked me up in a bar. You take care of me too…you were there for me when I needed you. And I've needed you a lot. No one is going to understand us the way that we understand one another. And no one we date is going to understand the relationship you and I have with one another, because at the end of the day…we will always come back to one another. Aside from Derek you are my best friend."

"Well, aside from Cristina you are my best friend too. I know that you are going to accept me no matter what…I mean I might have never dealt with my bisexuality if it hadn't been for you giving me that push." said Callie. She looked at the expression on Mark's face. "Do you ever regret it? I mean because we were…sort of seeing each other at the time."

Mark shook his head and said "You needed to explore that side of yourself. You are still young…you are trying to figure out who you are. You won't be able to be happy until you are able to be yourself. I missed having sex with you though. I know that much."

Callie laughed and said "Well, I missed having sex with you too. You are like maestro in the sack and you know it. That is what makes your cockiness worse. Thank you for letting me stay here with you until I can get settled again. Starting over again feels so weird but it feels good too. At first I was hurt and angry but in the end I realized that Arizona and I weren't going to last and it was better that she broke up with me here and not half way around the world."

"I know it will sound selfish but I am glad that she dumped you too. I didn't really want you leaving me. Who else would I talk over my problems with?" asked Mark laughing.

"Speaking of problems…how are things with Little Grey?" asked Callie. She was curious about what if anything was going on there. She knew things had been rocky since before the shooting at the hospital.

Mark shook his head and said "They aren't…and the worst part is…I thought I'd be more upset about it but I'm not really." That was mostly because he had his sights set on Callie.

"Well, we can both get over our break ups together. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else." quipped Callie with a smirk. "I don't know how you do it Sloan but you always make me want you even when I know better." She kissed him and relaxed against his body. When she was with him she felt safe and happy.

"What can I say? I am irresistible. But then so are you…I had no intention of having sex with you last night…but you looked so sexy and vulnerable when you asked me in the kitchen. I just had to have you right then and there…like I could make love to you long enough that your pain would disappear." said Mark more tenderly than he had intended but those were his true emotions.

Callie looked into his eyes a moment and smiled. "You did…you made my pain go away…and you made me feel like I was loved…even if it was just for one night."

"What if it didn't have to just be for one night?" asked Mark looking into her brown eyes. His fingers interlaced in her hair as he kissed her softly.

"What do you mean?"asked Callie softly looking at him after the kiss. Her eyes searched his trying to figure out what he meant.

"I care about you Callie. I like being with you and I think you like being with me too….we keep trying on other relationships that only sort of work but we work together…we are good together." said Mark.

She smiled softly. "Well, we are good together. And if we are going to fail at relationships…why not give the two of us a try? Is that what you are saying?"

He laughed and said 'Not in those words but yes that is what I am saying to you. So what do you think about that?"

She laughed and said "I think that I might be interested in that."

Mark on top of her and laughed. He kissed her. "I am glad that you are interested because I am interested. I am interested in something too…."

"Get off of me Sloan. I am starving Mark. We need something to eat. What do you have in the kitchen?" asked Callie laughing. She squirmed trying to move his body off of hers.

Mark laughed and said "You know moving like that is just turning me on. There isn't much in the kitchen. I kind of need to do some shopping." He rolled off of her and flopped onto his back on the bed. "What do you want to eat? "One of us is going to have to go out and pick up stuff. I nominate you."

Callie laughed and climbed out of his bed. "You nominate me?" She laughed. "I am going to get a shower since you nominate me." She headed into his bathroom and got a quick shower. Afterward she got dressed and climbed onto Mark's bed. "What do you want me to pick up?"

"Oooh go to that place that has the really good ravioli. Get my favorite." said Mark. He was stretched out in the bed looking like he was ready to fall asleep.

She laughed and said "You are getting old Sloan. Have sex with me once and then you are ready to go to sleep. I will pick up lunch and I will be back. I can't believe you are sending me 30 minutes away for lunch! I expect some after lunch sex for this."

Mark laughed and said "I am not old we've had sex like 4 times in less than 12 hours! And we can have as much as sex as you want baby when you get back. I just need to refuel."

Callie laughed and said "Fine I'll be back soon." She stopped at his bedroom door. "I love you Mark." She stood there for a moment wondering if he'd say it back.

Mark laid there not sure what to say he was on the spot. "Make sure you get garlic bread."

Callie just shook her head a little and said "Of course. Who could forget that?" Callie walked out of the room and left the apartment.

Mark put a pillow over his face. He couldn't believe he responded to I love you with…garlic bread. He was just caught off guard. He'd be able to tell her when she came back. Mark pulled himself out of the bed and lit a few candles in the room. He figured he was setting the mood for when she returned.

The minutes ticked away and soon 30 minutes turned into an hour and then into two hours. Mark had been calling Callie's cell phone but wasn't getting an answer. He was starting to worry that he had pissed her off. Just then his phone rang. Mark answered the phone on the first ring. "Callie, I'm sorry." blurted out Mark thinking that it was Callie on the other line.

No…Mark it is…Derek. You need to get to the hospital…now. Callie…was shot...Mark…and she's bad off." said Derek not sure how else to tell his friend.

Mark stared off into space his brain unable to understand the words coming from Derek's mouth. Derek was still talking but Mark couldn't comprehend anything at the moment. Mark hung up on Derek and got out of bed quickly. He put on a pair of gym shoes and hurriedly pulled on the same shirt from the previous night. He grabbed his wallet and keys and ran out of his apartment.

_Callie's voice: Life is made up of choices and the choices that we make can forever change the path we are on in life. Some choices are little…and some are major but they all make changes in our lives even if they are imperceptible to begin with. But what do you do when you figure out that you made the wrong choice? _

[Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital]

Mark ran into the hospital still in his pajama bottoms, t-shirt, and a pair of untied gym shoes. His eyes were wide with worry. He went straight for the operating room. Derek had told him what OR she was in when he called him at home. Mark burst into the operating room. He had to be there. He needed to be there with her. He stood there in shock as she flatlined on the operating table. "Calllie!" screamed Mark.

Chief Webber looked at the disheveled and distraught man. "Get him out of here!" yelled Webber as he and Owen Hunt worked to save Callie's life. Webber was covered in Callie's blood.

Derek ushered his friend out of the operating room. He didn't need to see her like that. "Mark! This is a sterile zone..." That was the only excuse that Derek could come up with at the moment. He forced Mark out of the operating room and into the hallway. And then he saw something he hadn't seen in a very long time.

Mark's eyes filled with tears, his fears being realized. Mark slid down the wall and sat on the floor not being able to look at Derek. "I can't lose her…it is better being single in pairs." muttered Mark repeating something Callie had said to him recently. "I can't lose her." repeated Mark. "I love her…."

Derek stood in front of his friend glancing into the OR watching Chief Webber attempting to shock Callie's heart back into rhythm.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I want to thank everyone for the reviews. I am sorry for the delay in chapters. I hope you all enjoy this!

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_Callie's voice: There is a difference between being by yourself and being alone. You could be surrounded by a million people and still be alone. The words of those around you are icy comfort when you feel like all is lost. But if your other half slips through your fingers…can you ever be whole?_

Mark walked into Callie's hospital room carrying flowers, a duffel bag, and an iPod. He set them next to her hospital bed and stood there watching her rest. Mark eyes were blood shot from not getting enough rest and he hadn't bothered to shave either. Mark looked at Dr. Bailey. "Thank you for sitting with Callie while I changed clothes..." It had taken a lot of convincing from Derek to get Mark to go home at all.

Miranda said "It is fine...I was in no hurry to go home for the night. Besides you needed a shower and a change of clothes. You were starting to look like McBummy instead of McSteamy. Her vitals her good and her fever has dissipated...I know that is no consolation at the moment."

Mark's world had been turned upside down since Callie had been shot. The days seemed to escape his grasp...that's right days. Mark sometimes had to remind himself that it had been days since Callie had opened her eyes and the longer she was in a coma the less likely it became that she would wake up at all. But Mark believed in miracles...working in a hospital you had to believe in miracles. He had witnessed many patients that had been written off as lost causes and he saw them recover from their injuries. For three days Mark had rarely left Callie's bedside. He was using his sick days at work because he didn't want to leave her alone for any amount of time. People came in and out of the room and tried to convince him to go home and get some rest but Mark waved them off. He wasn't interested in any of that. "That is good...sounds like her infection is finally starting to clear up. I brought her iPod with me…I figured she might like to hear some music."

Miranda walked over to him and said "I think it is great that you brought the music…she'll like you…you should try talking to her too. Torres is a fighter...she fights when there doesn't need to be a fight. You have to believe that she is fighting back from this with everything that she has in her. Women have their own time schedule...she'll wake up soon enough. Goodnight..." Miranda collected her coat and purse and walked out of the room.

Mark setup Callie's iPod and started her favorite playlist. He smiled listening to the music. "You have the strangest taste in music but I love you anyway…." Mark held her hand looking down at her.

Lexie walked into the room. It pained Lexie to see Mark hurting so much and all she wanted to do was try to make it better and be there for him in his time of need. But he kept pushing her away. Lexie stood at the door quietly watching the way Mark tenderly held Callie's hand and whispered to her. His voice was so quiet she couldn't make out a word he was saying. She hadn't been sure if she wanted to be with him. She didn't know if she wanted the same things that Mark wanted but now that the decision had been taken out of her hands she felt a sense of desperation coming over her. "Mark...how are you doing?" asked Lexie walking over to Mark. She linked arms with him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Mark hadn't even realized that Lexie was in the room. "I am the same as I was the last time you asked...and before you even start...no I don't want to go home. I get enough rest right there in that chair." Mark nodded his head to the reclining chair that was positioned next to Callie's bed. That chair had become his new bed. He slept there every night listening to Callie's vitals beeping on the monitor. Those beeps were the only thing that gave him any peace because he knew as long as he heard those monitors Callie was alive and still with him. He woke up every time a nurse or a doctor walked into the room to check on Callie.

"Mark you are exhausted. You can't keep going on like this. Let me take you home. You can get some rest and come back in the morning." said Lexie. She gently pulled his hand away from Callie's hand. "If anything changes with her condition someone will call you. We can pick up some take out and we can go back to your place and I give you a massage..."

Mark shook his head and said "No, I want to stay here in case Callie needs me or if there is any change in her condition. I don't want to leave her here by herself. I don't know what could be worse than waking up from a coma...alone...and not knowing where you are."

"Mark…you are being unreasonable. You look like a train wreck right now…." said Lexie with her hands on her almost non-existent hips. "Come with me to your apartment for a couple of hours and you could come back later."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you so back off." said Mark looking at her with narrowed eyes. He calmed down and said "Grey...I know that you want to help me but the only thing that is going to make me feel any better is Callie waking up. I didn't mean to be rude to you but...I'd like it if you left please." said Mark. His hand went back to Callie's hand and he turned his attention back to her face. It seemed so strange to him. She looked so peaceful almost as if she had just fallen asleep.

"Fine!" hissed Lexie. "I won't bother asking you again." Lexie was taken aback by Mark's outburst and she slinked out of the room feeling very wounded at the moment. She stood at the door watching him for a moment and then stormed off to find comfort in Avery's arms.

Mark felt like a jerk for snapping at Lexie but he didn't want to leave Callie by herself and nothing that anyone said was going to change that sentiment. Mark had a seat in the chair next to her bed. He closed his eyes tiredly. Mark ended up falling asleep from being tired.

About an hour later Callie opened her eyes for the first time in days. She groaned and her eyelids fluttered closed again trying to shield her sensitive eyes from the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. She tried to cough to clear her throat. Callie tried opening her eyes for a second time. This time she scanned the room attempting to figure out where she was and how she had come to be there. Callie struggled to remember the last events of her life but she couldn't recall anything after leaving Mark's apartment. "Mark?" asked Callie with almost a whimper as she moved. Pain surged through her body and she nearly lost consciousness from the pain.

Mark was in and out of sleep but hearing Callie's voice snapped him out of his dreams. "Callie?" asked Mark. He stood up from the chair and closed the small distance between himself and Callie's bed. His hand went to her hand clutching it protectively. "Cal?" asked Mark again.

Callie's eyes fluttered open again and she looked up at Mark's concerned face. "Mark…" said Callie again. "What…what happened?" asked Callie looking to him for answers that she could not seem to figure out on her own. "I hurt…so…bad." whimpered Callie.

Mark leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "I…I'm so glad that you are awake…" said Mark in a strained voice. "You…you are in the hospital. I am going to go and get someone in here to see you." Mark went to let go of Callie's hand but she held it firmly with as tight of a grasp as she could manage in her condition. "Cal…I need to go get Hunt and Teddy, They need to look at you…you've been…you've been in a coma for three days baby."

Disbelief and fear washed over Callie's face and she reluctantly let Mark's hand go. She closed her eyes feeling tears slip down her cheeks.

Mark kissed her cheek. "I'll be right back…I promise." Mark walked out of the room and raced down the hall to the nurses' station. "I need Drs. Hunt and Altman paged to Callie Torres' room. She's awake."

Derek was at the nurses' station checking up on another patient when he heard Mark. Derek walked over to him and said "How long has she been awake?"

Mark shook his head and said "A few minutes. She's in a lot of pain…and she's confused…I've…I've got to get back in there." Mark rushed back to the room. "Cal…?" asked Mark walking over to her bed and taking her hand again.

"What happened to me?" asked Callie tiredly. She forced her eyes open to look at Mark but she was exhausted. "I…I remember leaving your apartment…I got in my car and called ahead at Aiello's to order lunch for the two of us…and…that is all I remember…"

Mark held her hand. "You…stopped for gas…after you left Aiello's with our lunch. While you were in the gas station three men walked in to rob it… the guys sprayed the gas station with bullets…injured three people and killed two others. You were shot three times…one of the bullets hit an artery…if a nurse hadn't been there and survived the shooting...you might have died before you even made it to the hospital. One of the bullets nicked your liver…and another bullet was wedged against your spine. It was removed…but there was some damage…."

Owen and Teddy walked into the room along with Chief Webber and a couple of nurses. Owen said "Dr. Sloan…we need to do a full examination of Dr. Torres…it might be better if you were to step out of the room for now."

Mark didn't want to leave her but he said "I'll be back when they are done Cal…I promise." Mark walked out of the room. Hearing he door click behind him made his heart ache a little. He sat in the waiting room for what seemed like forever. It was an hour later when the doctors and nurses filed out of Callie's room. The somber look on Chief Webber's face sent a cold chill down Mark's spine.

"What is it Richard?" asked Mark standing up and walking over to him.

Richard said "Callie gave us permission to talk to you…she has listed you as the person to make the decisions for her if she is unable to make them…she isn't able to feel anything below the waist. It could be temporary she still has a lot of swelling from the original injury. It could be a week or more until we know if this development is permanent. When we left the room she asked to speak with you."

Mark was stunned. He nodded slightly and walked back to the room feeling numb. "Cal…?" asked Mark as he walked over to her bed.

Callie was lying there stoically but tears were welling up in her eyes.

Mark held her hand. "Cal...I know that you are scared right now but it is going to be okay. I am going to make sure that it is going to be okay." Mark pulled a chair next to her bed so he could sit down and hold her hand.

"Mark...I can't walk...what am I going to do...how can you possibly make it okay. And my father couldn't even be bothered to come to Seattle...even after the Chief called him...and told him what happened to me...I don't have family...I don't have...anyone." said Callie crying quietly. She sniffled trying to stop crying. "But...I am alive so I am not going to feel sorry for myself." insisted Callie.

"Hey...that isn't true. You have me. I've been here for you the entire time. The only time I left was today to get a shower and a change of clothes because Bailey insisted on it. I am going to take care of you...you have my word on that. I know it is hard but...I just need you to believe that Callie." said Mark. The wheels in his head were already turning as he attempted to figure out a way to take care of Callie.

Callie wanted to believe him because at the moment everything seemed rather hopeless to her. She looked into Mark's eyes and saw the compassion and worry. "I do believe that." whispered Callie. She squeezed his hand gently. "Dr. Webber thinks…I might be out of the woods with my infection…"

Mark nodded and said "The infection is clearing up. You had a fever for awhile but that has gone away…and your paralysis may not be permanent. You know as well as I do that the swelling could be the culprit. We won't know any different until the swelling goes down. But no matter what you are going to need physical therapy and rehab and we are going to make sure you get that."

Callie laughed a little. "I don't even have a place of my own…I am living with you. I've dug myself a good hole this time."

He said "Let me worry about the details. You put all of your energy into getting better. That is all I need from you." He kissed her softly. "I didn't say it before you left that day…but I love you too Cal…I really do."

Callie offered him a tired smile. "I know you do…" Callie closed her eyes tiredly. "You must love me…because you look like hell." said Callie laughing softly.

Mark leaned his head down next to hers.

Callie rubbed her fingers over his scruffy beard. "I think you look hot…" said Callie laughing softly. Her eyes fluttered closed tiredly. She said "I am so sleepy."

Mark smiled and said "Maybe I will stay scruffy more often." He smiled feeling her hand on his face. He didn't want her to go to sleep. He had the irrational fear that she might not wake up again. But he knew she was tired. "Go to sleep…I'll be here…I'm not going anywhere…you're never alone Cal…you always have me."


	3. Chapter 3

Callie had been in the hospital for three weeks battling sepsis and attempting to walk again. The days seemed to pass by so slowly in the hospital. The sun moved to different positions in the sky and day turned to night. For Callie those were the only indicators of time. It seemed like her stay at the hospital was on a never ending loop. She felt like she was living through the movie Groundhogs'' Day. Mark had been her steady companion. He spent every spare moment in her room holding her hand or talking to her. She had even convinced him to read her medical journals to her. Those times with him were wonderful but a nagging fear about her future was always lurking just out of frame. Callie had trouble walking on her own and needed a wheelchair most of the time. She had months of rehab in front of her with no guarantee of regaining the function she had lost. Today was the day that she would be released from the hospital. She felt like her entire life was in shambles. Whenever Callie would try to talk to Mark about her fears he would simply tell her that he would take care of everything. And for a brief moment that notion comforted Callie. Callie had finished signing her release papers and sat in the bed waiting to leave. Mark had picked out a black wrap dress for Callie to wear home. She was happy that she could put it on herself. She had even taken the time to put on make-up. It was nice to feel humane again.

Mark walked into the room with a smile on his face. "It is time to go. Are you ready to leave this hospital?" asked Mark pushing a wheel chair into the room and over to Callie's bed. The last few weeks had been hell on Mark. He felt helpless watching Callie struggle with the bleak future of not being able to work. Her work was her passion and not being able to stand would put an end to that. But Mark refused to talk about things like that. He kept positive about her recovery. But when he was alone or when Callie was asleep, the thoughts plagued his mind. He could see her fears and all he wanted to do was take care of her. All of his energy was spent supporting this woman so that she didn't feel like she was alone in this world.

Callie smiled a little. "I guess I have to take a wheelchair out of here. I don't think that I will be walking out of this hospital on my own two feet." She scooted to the side of the bed with some effort. She tried to be as independent as she could even though it wasn't very much. Callie reached up and ran a frustrated hand through her hair. She looked over at Mark scared about what the immediate future held. She didn't know how she'd get along in his apartment. She didn't know how she would care for herself during the day when Mark wasn't home. She tried not to think about all of that. Right now she just wanted to roll out of this hospital.

Mark smiled and said "You are always impatient. You are going to have to let me help you Cal..." Mark gingerly helped Callie from the bed into the wheelchair. He moved her feet to the foot rests and made sure she was steady. Mark picked up a duffel bag and set it on Callie's lap. "Ready to leave?" Mark picked up a flower arrangement that he had purchased for her just a day ago.

"I know that you have to help me...but I don't have to be an invalid either!" said Callie in a spirited voice. She took in a breath. "Thank you for helping me Mark but I just don't want to become this huge burden on you...you have a life...a career. You are in love with Lexie. And I've been taking up all of your time...and my rehab is going to take a long time Mark...and I am going to be a burden...a huge burden and I just...I don't want that for you. You deserve more... much more." said Callie quietly. Callie tried to blink to stop her tears from falling but it was an act of futility. Tears started to slip down her cheeks. She felt so incredibly helpless and useless right now. She nodded her head. "Yes, I am ready to go Mark."

Mark sat the flowers on Callie's bed and then kneeled down in front of Callie's wheelchair. "I was going to wait until later to do this but I think right now is the best time. Calliope Torres I am in love with you and I have been for quite some time. I don't want anyone except for you. And you are not a burden to me because everyday...that you open those beautiful brown eyes and look at me...it is a gift worth more than anything else in the world." Mark reached into his pocket and took out a black ring box. Mark flipped open the box to reveal a 4 carat diamond ring. "Will you marry me?" asked Mark taking the white gold ring from the box and slipping it onto Callie's finger. "I don't want to hear any arguments just say you will marry me woman!" Mark looking into her eyes.

Callie felt like she couldn't breath as Mark slipped that ring onto her finger. The gold was cool against her skin. Callie stared into Mark's eyes trying to pick out pity or anything that could warrant her saying no to this impromptu proposal. But when she looked at Mark all she saw was the love and concern that he had for her. Callie took in a shaky breath as her eyes moved to the ring nestled on her ring finger. She nodded slightly at first but then a smile started to spread across her pouty lips. "Yes...yes I will marry you Mark." said Callie. She leaned forward in the wheelchair and wrapped her arms around Mark's neck. She hugged him and placed a soft but loving kiss on his lips. She laughed softly feeling his facial tickle her face.

Mark smirked and snapped the box closed. He couldn't help but smile brighter feeling Callie's arms around his neck. "I love you Cal...I want to be your husband...I want you to be my wife." He pulled back and looking into her eyes. "We are going to be okay Cal...I believe that...I need you to believe that too." He stood up and said "Let's get you home." Mark pushed Callie out of the room and down the hallway to the elevator. He hit the button and stood waiting with her.

Derek walked over and said "I was hoping that I would be out of surgery before the two of you left. You know that if you need anything...all you have to do is give me a call." He smiled spying the ring on Callie's finger. "Well, I guess congratulations are in order. I was wondering if you were going to say yes to my best friend here. I told him that you had better sense than to say yes to him." Derek chuckled. In the weeks that Callie had been in the hospital Derek saw a side of Mark that he had never seen before. Mark was dedicated to Callie in a way that Derek didn't think was possible for his childhood friend.

"Thank you Derek." Callie smiled softly and said "Well, Mark made a persuasive argument. I believe his exact words were...just marry me woman. Who could resist a proposal like that? I am just glad to be getting out of this hospital. I love the people I work with but everyone needs a break."

Mark smiled as the elevator doors opened. "I just might take you up on that offer buddy boy." The truth was Mark had already taken Derek up on that offer. Derek had been instrumental on helping Mark get ready for Callie to be released from the hospital. Mark wheeled Callie into the elevator and hit the button. He light rubbed Callie's shoulders. He was nervous about his next surprise for her. He didn't know how she would take his next surprise. Mark rolled Callie out to his car and helped her in after putting the flower arrangement in the backseat.

Callie hated that she needed help doing everything but she bit her lip and didn't complain...for now. "Thank you Mark." said Callie. She put on her own seat belt and set her own bag on her lap. Callie searched for her sunglasses in her bag and put them on. This was as normal as she had felt since she had been in the hospital.

Mark passed the wheelchair off to a nurse and then walked around to the other side of the car. He climbed into the car and put on his seat belt before taking off. Mark was driving and periodically he reached over and squeezed her hand. "How are you doing?" asked Mark.

"I am just glad to be out of that hospital...it is nice to see the outside world again. Sometimes it felt like I would never get out of the hospital. Like I'd be trapped there forever..." said Callie. She looked out the window relishing feeling the sun on her skin and the wind blowing against her face. After awhile Callie frowned. "Mark, where are we going?" Callie realized that she didn't really recognize the route they were taking.

Mark smiled a little. "Well, maybe we can go to the park or something after we get you in the house and settled. I know it had to be hard being cooped up in the hospital for so long. Well, we are going somewhere new first..." Mark turned into a small subdivision. Mark was hoping that he wouldn't get lost getting there. A few minutes later he pulled into the driveway of a one story house. Mark hit the button for the garage opener and drove into the two car garage. In the garage were Callie's car and a motorized wheelchair.

Callie looked around and asked. "Mark...what is this...?" asked Callie seriously. Callie looked at Mark trying to figure out what he had done.

"This is our new home...our new rental home anyway...I signed a six month lease here for us. The house is one story so there is no need to worry about broken elevators. There is a flat slightly inclined walkway leading up to the front door so it is wheelchair accessible. This house is only a couple of blocks away from the rehab center that you will be going to and it isn't very far from the hospital either." said Mark.

Callie sat there stunned and just stared at him for a moment. "When did you? Why didn't you tell...? Thank you..." Callie couldn't form any of her questions. "No one has ever done anything like this for me. I mean you gave up your apartment to do this...?" asked Callie in a quiet voice.

"Of course I do. My apartment wasn't suitable...I don't want you feeling tapped in your own home. I want you to be able to live your life...and you can do that here. The floor plan here is open and I have made sure that the furniture is arranged in such a way that you can navigate around everything with ease. I told you...I am going to take care of you Callie and I meant that. I figured that we could stay here for 6 months and see where your condition is...and then we can look into buying a house."

Callie leaned in and kissed Mark. Callie couldn't believe how serious Mark was about all of this. She felt tears slipping from her eyes and she held onto him.

Mark pulled back feeling her tears. "What's wrong Cal?" asked Mark resting his hands on her cheeks. He used his thumbs to flick away her tears. Mark was worried that he had done or said something wrong. He knew that he had sprung a lot of information on her at one time. But he had kept everything close to the cuff because he had been scared that Callie would try to push him away.

Callie sniffled and shook her head. "Nothing is wrong Mark. I am just realizing how truly lucky I am to have you in my life...and how much you really do love me. My biggest fear lying in that hospital was...how I'd live my life...like this...alone. And I look at you and I see...this man that loves me...and feels my pain and has my fear...and that is willing to do anything to make my life even a little easier. And you love me...not because of this...but because you genuinely love me." Callie lightly caressed his cheek smiling as she caught a glimpse of her engagement ring.

Mark smiled looking into her eyes. "Callie I love you because you are a beautiful person...inside and out. You understand me in a way that no one else has ever tried to. We are perfect for one another...you know what makes me happy and I know what makes you happy...what makes you smile. I want you to be my wife...and share my life with me."

"This is all I have ever really wanted...to be in love... to be happy...to be able to be myself with someone and know that they love all of me...not just the parts that they find acceptable. I am going to give our marriage my all and I am going to make you happy." said Callie.

"I already am baby...really. You don't know how happy I was to be able to roll you out of the hospital. There were so many days that I wondered if I would get that chance. I almost lost you...I am going to make the most out of m second chance. Come on let's get you inside." said Mark. Mark kissed her and then got out of the car. He walked over to her door and opened it for her. He gingerly lifted her out of the car and carried her over to the motorized wheelchair. He set her in the chair.

Callie's hand went to the joystick and the chair lurched forward. She laughed softly. "It has a lot of power in it." said Callie.

Mark smiled and said "Alright. Let's go inside." Mark walked over to the door and unlocked it. The door opened into the great room that was off from the kitchen.

Callie rode into the house with her wheelchair and smiled looking around. The room was nicely decorated and most importantly Callie saw that there was more than enough space for her to maneuver around the room with her wheelchair. "Mark this is great." said Callie excitedly.

Mark closed the door behind them and locked it. He set the flower arrangement on the console table by the door and set the duffel bag on the floor. Mark smiled and gave Callie a tour of their new rental home. It was a nice three bedroom 2.5 bathrooms home. He smiled watching how happy Callie was as she saw that she could get around the house easily. The joy on her face made it all worth it to him. "Derek and Meredith helped me go furniture shopping for the house. I don't know if I would have been able to get all of this together in time without their help. So what do you think?"

"I think it is amazing Mark..." said Callie with a smile. "So incredibly amazing." said Callie with a smile. "I want to go to Joe's tonight...I know I can't really drink but...I want to get out of the house for the night...what do you say?"asked Callie with a smile.

Mark kissed her and said "I think it sounds good. It is about 5:00 now...do you want to go at like 8:00?"

Callie nodded and said "That sounds great to me. It gives me some time to take a little nap. I feel tired..." She chuckled softly. "Can you help me into the bed?" asked Callie.

Mark smiled and said "Sure I can do that." Mark pulled back the covers for Callie. Mark went to pick her up.

Callie shook her head and said "I am right next to the bed...just help me stand on my feet and I can twist around to sit down..."

Mark nodded and gently eased Callie up from the wheelchair and watched as she twisted herself and plopped down on the bed. Mark helped her get her legs into the bed and then covered her with the blanket. "You get some rest okay. Call me if you need anything." said Mark.

Callie smiled and said "Alright...I love you Mark...and thank you for everything."

"I love you too Cal..." said Mark with a smirk. He walked out of the bedroom giving Callie some time to rest on her own.

Around 8:30 that night Mark and Callie arrived at Joe's a couple of the other doctors from the hospital would be meeting them there for drinks as a celebration. Callie was grateful to have a motorized chair so that Mark didn't have to push her.

Mark walked in behind Callie and smiled seeing Derek, Owen, Teddy, and Miranda. He motioned to the table to get Callie's attention.

Callie rolled over to the table and smiled. "Hi everyone!" Callie put her purse on the table and got settled at the table. She chuckled seeing that her colleagues had already started drinking.

Miranda smiled and said "Torres! It's good to see you up and out of the hospital." Miranda raised a shot in Callie honor. "For she's a jolly good lady!" said Miranda motioning to the rest of the attendings at the table.

Callie laughed listening to her friends sing off-key. After they finished she smiled and said "Thanks Bailey. Thanks to all of you."

Mark kissed Callie's cheek. "What do you want to drink?" asked Mark.

"I'll take a cranberry juice please." said Callie with a smile. "After being in the hospital for so long I just wanted to get out of the house tonight. And what better place than Joe's?" asked Callie laughing. "Derek, Mark told me that you and Meredith helped him do the furniture shopping for the house. I just want to thank you for helping him. The house looks amazing. If Mark was left to his own devices it would be black leather and stripper poles."

Derek laughed and said "Well, it was my pleasure. I am glad to help out whenever I can. Besides, it was a pretty big house for Mark shop for on his own."

Mark walked over setting Callie's drink in front of her. He had a seat next to her.

Callie reached up picking up her drink.

Teddy paused when Callie's ring came into view. She nearly choked on her drink. "Uh...that is an interesting piece of hardware." said Teddy.

Callie looked at her hand and laughed. "Oh yeah...Mark proposed to me this afternoon and I said yes...we're getting married!" Callie laughed harder. "I forgot that Derek was the only person that knew." said Callie laughing.

As everyone else at the table was congratulating Callie and Mark, Teddy was hurriedly texting on her cell phone. But it was all in vain.

Arizona walked up behind Callie. She couldn't believe the love of her life was currently in a wheelchair. "Hi Calliope." said Arizona.

Callie's head turned hearing Arizona's voice and the smile faded from her face. "Arizona..."said Callie clutching her glass in her hand.

Arizona stared at the ring on Callie's finger and froze in place.


	4. Chapter 4

Callie reached out and took Mark's hand. She squeezed it lightly. She felt her anger simmering inside of her. Not because she was hurt that Arizona left her...no Callie was angry because Arizona was back. She said "What are you doing here Arizona?" Callie's voice was cool as a cucumber.

Arizona stared in disbelief at the engagement ring sitting snugly on Callie's finger. Arizona called Teddy once a week to catch up with her friend but also to get updates on her ex-girlfriend. Arizona knew that Mark had been by Callie's bed side during her recovery but Arizona assumed it was strictly in a friend capacity. Callie and Mark had always asserted that they were only friends. "I've wanted to call you, but I didn't know what to say to you. I decided it was better so say what was on my heart after I was back here in Seattle. I didn't want my words to sound hollow from a world away. I've been trying to get back to Seattle since your accident, but I had to wait for another doctor to come take my place. I couldn't leave the team there understaffed. But even before your accident I knew that I wanted to come back to you Calliope. I made a mistake leaving you here. It is probably the biggest mistake of my life and if I had to do it over and I would not make the same decision. I was miserable in Malawi without you. I couldn't stop crying. I realized that I need you in my life and if you would have me back..."

Although there was music playing in the background and the other patrons were talking loudly and laughing. The table of doctors was eerily silent as they watched this scene unfold. All of their eyes were firmly planted on Arizona, Callie, and Mark. It was no secret that Callie and Arizona were madly in love with one another. They were a couple that a lot of people thought would go the distance.

Callie's eyes narrowed after listening to Arizona's speech. "This is not the time or the place to have this conversation Arizona. I am not interested in hearing what you have to say. All I want to do is enjoy my first night out of the hospital. And I want to enjoy my first night as an engaged woman. And I could do both of those...much better if you'd remove yourself from the equation. Run away...you are good at that."

"Calliope Iphigenia Torres, you are the only woman that I want and if I have to beg and plead for your forgiveness then I will...I just want you back. Tell me what I have to do to get you back and I will do it. Walking away from you was the worst mistake that I've ever made in my life. I was upset and I made the wrong choice. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't be forgiven. After everything we've been through you can't just turn your back on what we mean to one another. I am back and I am ready to pick up where we left off." said Arizona. She reached out and caressed Callie's cheek.

"This isn't about what you want. I don't care about what you want anymore. That died when you dumped me in an airport." said Callie brushing Arizona's hand away from her face.

Owen Hunt frowned. He was uncomfortable with this entire situation. He felt like they were eavesdropping on what was a very private conversation. Owen cleared his throat and spoke up. "Maybe we should give them some privacy." He looked around at the other doctors at the table.

Miranda had already had several drinks. She chuckled and said "No way. I am not missing this showdown. And even if I went to sit at the bar I'd be trying to read their lips from across the room." Miranda's attention was distracted briefly when Nurse Eli walked over to the table. Miranda and Eli had been seeing one another off and on. This was the first time that she had invited him out with her friends.

Derek said "It is Friday night. There really isn't anywhere else to sit right now." Derek's eyes scanned the room seeing that all of the tables were taken. Joe's was particularly full that night. Derek picked up his glass of beer and tried not to stare at the scene going on at the other end of the table.

Mark had been suspiciously quiet since Arizona walked up to their table. But he could see how upset her presence was making Callie. He liked Arizona but not enough to let her stress out Callie. He said "I think Callie and I are going to head home for the night." Mark looked to Callie to confirm that he had made the right call.

Callie nodded and said "That sounds like a very good idea to me. I think the night is pretty much dead...especially since I can't drink to forget this happened." She smiled a little and reached for her purse that was sitting on the table. "Thanks everyone from coming tonight. Good night." Callie maneuvered her wheelchair away from the table and headed for the door. She ignored Arizona completely.

Arizona attempted to follow Callie. Arizona couldn't believe that Callie could be so cold and just disregard her completely. "Callie...wait please. Just talk to me." pleaded Arizona loudly so that she could be heard over all of the noise in the bar.

Mark shook his head and said "Arizona...just back off...for now at least. Callie isn't ready to talk to you let alone forgive you. You need to give her some time but you also need to realize that she and I are together now and I don't see that changing at all." Mark followed Callie out of the bar and walked beside her wheelchair. They made it to the car and Mark helped her into the passenger seat. He kneeled down next to her door and looked at her. "Are you going to be okay?" asked Mark. Sure he put on a good show for Arizona but the truth was he knew how much Callie loved Arizona. He knew there was a very real possibility that when Callie got over being hurt and angry that she might want to rekindle her romance with Arizona. But for now he wasn't going to worry with it.

"I am pissed." said Callie plainly. She smiled at him and said "But it doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would to see her again. I don't know...maybe almost dying puts some things into perspective for you. I thought seeing her again would tug at those familiar heart strings, but strangely enough...I didn't feel anything. I wasn't angry at her for leaving me. I was angry that she interrupted my night. Are you okay? You went a little pale on me while we were in the bar." said Callie with a small smile.

"Well, I have to admit I didn't really know what to expect...from either of you in that situation. I am sorry the night was ruined but maybe we can salvage it at home. We can watch a movie in bed together...maybe have something to snack on..." said Mark. He leaned up and kissed Callie on the lips before standing up again.

"I'd like that Mark." said Callie. She reached out for his hand. "I am not going anywhere Mark...I am with the person I want to be with." said Callie seriously.

Mark smirked and said "I know that sweet cheeks." Mark closed her door after letting her hand go. Mark got the wheelchair into the back of the SUV and then walked around to his side of the car. He climbed in and out on his seat belt. He didn't want to admit it but he was a little relieved to hear that Callie didn't want Arizona back. But he also knew that this was only her initial reaction. There was still a long road ahead. Mark started the car and drove them home.

The car ride home was incredibly quiet. Callie looked over at Mark. She knew that he was worried about her going back to Arizona. She held back a sigh. She would just have to prove herself to him. She smiled as they pulled into the garage at their rental house.

"Home sweet home." said Callie chuckling softly. With Mark's help Callie got back into her wheelchair and they headed into the house for the night. Callie went to their bedroom and changed into a night gown. Callie attempted to get out of her chair on her own and nearly fell to the floor as pain tore through her.

Mark walked into the room carrying snacks and nearly dropped them seeing Callie. He tossed them onto the bed and ran over collecting Callie into his arms. "What the hell are you doing?" Mark's heart was racing as he helped her into the bed. "I know that you want to be independent, but you could really hurt yourself. And if you do you could land yourself back into the hospital where you don't want to be." said Mark in a caring but stern voice. He took her hand and put it to his chest. "Do you feel that?" asked Mark.

Callie felt his heart beating out of control. "Mark...I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you so. I just thought that I could do it on my own...but I realize that I do need you to help me transfer from the wheelchair to the bed. Pushing up on my own hurts. I need your help. I know in the hospital I said that I didn't want those forearm braced crutches...but maybe I was a little too hasty?"

Mark nodded and said "I know it is hard for you to depend on anyone but you need to lean on me in this situation. I think the crutches are a great idea. I'll make a few calls in the morning and see how soon we can get some for you..." he kissed the top of her head and said "I am going to change for bed. I will be back in a few minutes. You can choose a movie for us to watch when I come back." Mark grabbed some pajama bottoms and went into the bathroom to change for bed. But mostly he was in there to steady his nerves. Walking in on Callie close to falling on the floor had shaken him up. Mark changed and walked out of the bathroom and over to their bed. Mark climbed into bed with Callie and chuckled seeing that she was already eating the cheddar popcorn. "Did you find anything on TV to watch?"

Callie said "The movie The Departed is on...you know how I love that movie." Callie scooted so that she was closed to Mark and relaxed against the headboard watching the movie with him. She passed the popcorn over to Mark and laid her head on his shoulder.

Mark put an arm around Callie's back and kissed the top of her head. He tried to relax and watch the movie but at the moment all he could think about was whether or not Callie was going to go back to Arizona. When the movie ended Mark looked over at Callie and smiled seeing that she had fallen asleep. Mark collected their snacks and took them back to the kitchen. He came back to the bedroom and climbed into bed with Callie. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes tiredly.

Callie was asleep but was startled awake by the sound of someone mumbling frantically. Callie looked over at him. "Mark?" It was then that Callie realized that Mark was having a nightmare. "Mark...!" asked Callie in a louder voice trying to wake him up.

"Callie! No!" screamed Mark. He sat up straight in the bed. His eyes were wide with fear and it felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. Mark's hand went to his heart and sat there a minute trying to collect himself.

Callie struggled to sit up in the bed and turned on the bedside lamp. "Mark...what's wrong?" She saw a stray tear on his cheek. She reached out and touched the tear. Callie had never really seen Mark cry.

Mark looked away and shook his head. "I just had a nightmare is all...I didn't mean to wake you up with it. You need your rest." Mark leaned in and kissed her softly. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment as he held her in his arms.

"Mark...you are obviously upset. Don't shut me out please. You can tell me anything...you know that." whispered Callie. She put her hand on his chest feeling how fast his heart was beating. "You told me when Lexie broke your penis." said Callie laughing softly trying to lighten the intense mood.

"It was just a nightmare...we were back in the hospital and...your heart stopped beating and you were gone. It just scared me but I am fine now." said Mark. The truth was the nightmare had shaken him to his core. There were many times when Callie was in the hospital that Mark was scared that he was going to lose Callie for good. His nightmare was the manifestation of that fear. But he didn't want to scare her or upset her talking about how close she had really come to leaving him.

Callie held his face his face in her hands and kissed him softly. "Baby, I am fine. I am not going anywhere. I am right here...you aren't going to lose me...not to death...not to Arizona. You are stuck with me until you croak." Callie's heart ached seeing Mark so upset. He was trying to hide it but she could see through him.

"Until I croak?" asked Mark with a small smile. His forehead was still resting on hers and he held her. "You expecting me to die sometime soon?" asked Mark chuckling. "I did make you the beneficiary of my life insurance policies so I guess right now is as good a time as any to bump me off."

"No, I figure you will die at 85 or 90 years old. Probably having sex with me. I figure you'll go first because you are a man and you are older than me." said Callie with a small smirk. "I am okay Mark...I am out of the hospital and out of the woods. Well, you know I made you the beneficiary of mine when my father disowned me. I figured...who knows me better than you."

"Hmm...that does sound like me. If I have to go I'd rather it be during sex. Preferably with you on top...I want a good view when I go." said Mark. "I know that you are okay now...you getting shot just reminded me how unpredictable life can really be. When you left that afternoon...you said that you loved me and I didn't say it back to you...because I was a moron. And I told myself that I would just say it to you when you came back. And at first when it took you so long to make it back...I thought maybe you were mad at me for responding to I love you with...bring back garlic bread. When Derek called to tell me that you were at the hospital...I thought it was you...I picked up the phone apologizing. And then Derek..." Mark couldn't even finish that statement. "I felt like my entire world collapsed around me Cal. I realized that the single most important woman in my life was clinging to life. I don't even really remember driving to the hospital...the first thing I remember is walking into the operating." Mark quit talking.

Callie didn't expect Mark to say anything else. She knew that he had expressed more emotions that he cared to. "Let's get married." said Callie

Mark pulled back and chuckled. "We are already engaged or did you forget?" asked Mark. Mark smiled looking into her eyes.

She laughed and said "No, I mean...let's get married like soon. Why wait a long time for something we both really want..." Callie ran her fingers over the scruff on his face.

"I didn't think you'd want to get married in your wheelchair..." said Mark seriously. She hadn't expressed that feeling but he knew her well enough to know how prideful she was. He just couldn't imagine Callie being comfortable with wheeling down the aisle.

"We don't know how long my recovery might take. Why wait? We love each other and we want to get married. We should do it. Besides you took some time off of work. It will be good. We can spend it together as newlyweds. We could wait a couple of weeks and get married. Just think about it." said Callie.

Mark smiled thinking about what Callie was proposing and honestly he liked the idea. "I think we could make that happen. What kind of wedding do you want?" asked Mark looking into her eyes.

"Something simple...something that is about you and me and no one else." said Callie with a smile. She kissed him softly. "I was wondering how convincing I would have to be." said Callie laughing softly.

"When have I ever said no to you?" asked Mark chuckling softly.


	5. Chapter 5

For the next four months Callie and Mark lived together in their rental home and worked on their relationship. Callie spent her days working on physical therapy and so far it had been a success. She was able to walk around their home with the help of crutches and rarely used her wheelchair. From time to time she talked to Arizona but Callie wasn't really looking to start up a friendship with her. Callie began planning their wedding ceremony. Mark and Callie agreed that they weren't interested in a huge affair. They wanted something small that would be attended by their friends. Callie was doing the majority of the planning on her own but every couple of days she'd make Mark sit down and talk about the wedding with her. Tonight would have been one of those nights but Callie had gotten unsettling news that day and she felt sick to her stomach...literally. So she ate an early dinner that night and went to bed before Mark even made it home.

Mark walked into the house and dropped his bag next to the door. He was exhausted after a particularly long day at the hospital. It wasn't just the surgeries that tired him out it was also Lexie and Arizona pestering him. Arizona wanted to talk to Callie and Lexie wanted to know if the wedding invitation that Meredith and Derek received was some sort of joke. Lexie was having a hard time accepting that Mark was actually going to go through with marrying Callie. Mark walked into the living room and frowned seeing that all of the lights were out. Callie was usually in the living room on the couch waiting for him. Mark walked into their bedroom and saw Callie in the bed. He wondered if physical therapy had been bad today. Mark went into the bathroom and took a much needed shower to wash away to tension of the day. Afterward, Mark walked into the bedroom yawning tiredly. He climbed into the bed with Callie. Mark laid back on his side of the bed with his hands resting comfortably behind his head. He listened to her breathing and realized that she was still awake. Mark glanced over at Callie's body curled up and facing the other direction. He thought it was weird that she was keeping so much space between the two of them. Usually, Callie would roll over and cuddle with him right in the crook of his arm which he rather liked. Mark reached over and lightly caressed her back. "Are you mad at me?" asked Mark. He could think of no other reason that Callie wasn't in his arms right now.

Callie had been hoping that Mark would just go to sleep and shut up. She didn't want to talk. She didn't want to look at him. Because if she did she knew that she would cry and tell him the truth and she wasn't ready to tell him the truth. Not right now. Not at this very moment. After weeks of being sick Callie had taken a home pregnancy test to confirm what she had already known in her heart. She wouldn't have gone through with it today if Cristina hadn't stopped by with a couple of tests. Callie hoped that if she ignored Mark that maybe...just maybe he would go to sleep.

Mark laid there lightly caressing Callie's back and became more worried. He ran over all of the possibilities in his head. He couldn't think of anything that he had done wrong to make her upset with him. Mark got up and walked around to Callie's side of the bed. He sat next to her and turned on the lamp. It was then that he saw the tears sliding down her cheeks. "Cal...what is going on?" asked Mark forcefully. He lightly brushed her hair away from her face and looked into her eyes. He wanted answers. He tried to think of anything he might have done to upset her but he was coming up blank at the moment. "I am used to having women angry with me for all sorts of reasons. It doesn't really bother me that much. But it does when you are the woman that is angry with me." he kissed her cheek. "I remembered to drop off the check at the country club. I wouldn't want my fiance angry at me for making us lose our wedding venue. That would be bad for my sex life. Did I forget something else?"

Callie tried to hold back the big sigh building up inside of her right now. Callie slowly sat up in the bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. She was currently wearing one of Mark's Yankees t-shirts and a pair of boy shirts. "I am not mad at you Mark. I just needed some time to figure out how to tell you that...Mark I'm pregnant."

Mark sat there staring at Callie's face. He was stunned for the moment and couldn't even form words. His brain screamed at him to say something or Callie would get the wrong idea. She was obviously scared for some reason. Mark took her into his arms. "You know this is great right? I mean we are parents. We wanted to be parents. We wanted to raise Sloane's baby together but she wouldn't let us."

Callie looked at the goofy smile on Mark's face. "You mean it...you are really happy about this?" asked Callie laughing softly. All of the stress she felt was slowly dissipating. "Because I'd really like for you to be as excited as I am. After getting over my initial shock...I was really happy that I was pregnant. But I think the best part was that I was pregnant by you." said Callie laughing softly at the absurdity of this situation.

"Of course I am happy Cal...I want this...I want this with you." said Mark with a smile. His hand went to her stomach and gently rubbed. "I can't believe that you are having my baby but I am glad that you are." whispered Mark as he leaned in and kissed her softly. He chuckled and said "I guess it is a good thing that we are getting married." Mark deepened the kiss and leaned her back onto his side of the bed. his hands went to the hem of his Yankees' t-shirt and pulled it off over her head. "Have I ever told you how hot you look wearing my t-shirts to bed?"

Callie laughed softly. She moaned when he kissed her. She chuckled looking at the discarded shirt now hanging off of the side of the bed. "No...I don't think you have. I like wearing your t-shirts though...they smell like you."

Mark paused and said "Wait...how far along are you?"

"I am not really sure and I won't be until I see an OB. My body has been so out of whack since I was shot. My cycle has been unpredictable at best and nonexistent at worst. I wouldn't have taken the tests today if Cristina hadn't been so persuasive and by persuasive I mean sitting on our bed while I was in the bathroom peeing on sticks." said Callie.

"Tests?" asked Mark chuckling. He quirked an eyebrow at her. "How many tests did you take?"

"Cristina bought 6 and I tried 4 of them." said Callie. She chuckled. "I figured by the time I tried test 4 that five and six probably wouldn't yield any different results. So I called to make an appointment with this new doctor at the hospital. The appointment is tomorrow at 1:00."

He smiled and said "Tomorrow is my day off so I will be there with you. But you do know that this news will circulate around the hospital before we even get a chance to tell anyone. Are you okay with that?" Just thinking about the hospital put him in a bad mood lately. He tried not to show it around Callie but it was taking a toll on him.

Callie laughed softly. "I am fine. I don't care what anyone thinks. I don't work there anymore anyway. I guess the question is...do you care?" Callie kissed him again and shifted positions in the bed so that he could get into the bed with her.. "What's wrong?" asked Callie.

Mark shook his head. "Nothing is wrong. I just had a long day but it is better now that I am home with you. And I just found out that I am going to be a dad. What could be bad about that? This has been the highlight of my day. But being with you always is." He didn't want to stress her out with any of the drama from work.

"When Cristina was here today she told me that Little Grey is none too pleased that you and I are getting married in a month. And considering I haven't answered any of Arizona's e-mails or phone calls...I can only imagine that she had a lot to say to you too. I am sorry that you are taking the brunt of all of this. If you want I can talk to Arizona...take some of the hits.

"You are pregnant, the last thing you need is people upsetting you." said Mark. He was concerned about her health. She was still recovering from what she'd been through. This pregnancy would put stress on her body. "Let's not talk about this anymore. I am going to go get ice cream for the two of us to celebrate..." said Mark. He kissed her before getting up and going to the kitchen.

Callie watched him leave the room and knew that he was stressed out. She didn't like that feeling. She grabbed the t-shirt she had been wearing and pulled it back on.

* * *

The next morning Mark sat at the kitchen table eating his badly cooked pancakes. He looked over at Callie and chuckled at her expression. "I will get better at cooking Cal...maybe I shouldn't have been so ambitious this morning. Tomorrow we will have frozen waffles for breakfast. I wanted to do something nice for you and the baby..."

Callie chuckled softly. She washed down the bite of burnt pancake with some orange juice. "No...Mark you did a really good job at trying to make breakfast for me. And the eggs and bacon are actually really good. Pancakes just aren't your strong suit. I just think that it is sweet that you made the effort. So what are you doing today?"

"Well, I am staying home with my beautiful fiance because I have the day off. And we are going to do whatever she wants to do today...after we go to your doctor's appointment. How is physical therapy coming along? We didn't talk about it last night." said Mark with a smirk. Mark was too hungry not to eat his bad pancakes so he devoured them.

"I like how you tossed in physical therapy. I know that I have a tendency to be stubborn but this is one fight you do not have to worry about having with me. I have been giving physical therapy 100% of my effort. I want to get back to being my old self...I am tired of these crutches." said Callie. More than anything she was scared of being a burden to Mark and that was a sure fire way to kill a relationship.

Mark smiled listening to her talk. "Just make sure that you don't push yourself too hard. I know that you want to get back to normal but pushing yourself beyond your limits can set your recovery back. Just take the progress as it comes. It looks like it is going to be a nice day maybe after the appointment we can go to the park if you aren't too tired."

Callie smiled at him. "I will be on my very best behavior. I am going to be okay, Mark. Sure, I would love to go to the park. Feeling the sun on my skin would be a bonus of the day. I can't believe that our wedding is only a couple of weeks away. We are going to have an amazing wedding. The courtyard at the country club is going to look spectacular. We'll get married right in front of that huge fountain. I can't think of a more beautiful place to get married. And I finally got Cristina to agree to be my maid of honor. She said that we should just elope to Las Vegas but I told her that is out of the question. I will never get married in Vegas again."

"Hey, don't put down Vegas. It wasn't the location that was the problem then...it was the guy you were marrying. But you want a big wedding the whole nine yards then that is what we are going to do because I just want to make you happy. You know that I am not exactly opinionated about this sort of thing. But so far all of the plans that I've seen have been great. You've really done a good job planning the wedding. I know I haven't helped very much." said Mark.

"Thank you for letting me plan the wedding of my dreams. I am just glad that you are the man that I am marrying. I can't think of a better man. All I need now is to do my last fitting for my wedding dress. Hopefully, I won't put on too much weight in the next couple of weeks. My dress is amazing." said Callie.

Mark chuckled. "Of course I let you plan the wedding of your dreams. The only thing I care about is having an open bar. As long as there is an open bar then I will be a very happy groom."

She said "I am pregnant and I can't drink. I should totally cancel the open bar. If I can't drink no one can!" She laughed to let him know that she was only joking.

Mark chuckled and said"You are such a good hostess." Mark got up from the table and cleared their plates. Mark said "I want to go for a run this morning will you be okay by yourself?" Mark could have kicked himself as soon as he asked her that.

Callie frowned a little. "Yes, I will be fine here by myself." She offered a smile. "I know that you are worried about me but I really will be okay Mark. Go for your run. I like seeing you all sweaty." She smiled at him and walked into the living room with her crutches.

Mark said "Okay but I will have my cell phone with me. If you need anything call me." Mark went into their bedroom and changed. He grabbed his cell phone and left for his run.

Callie got settled in the living room and curled up on the couch. Callie started watching television. About twenty minutes later Callie heard a knock at the door. Callie chuckled and got up walking over to the door. "Did you forget your keys?" asked Callie opening the front door assuming that it was Mark.

"Uh...no. I don't have a key..." said Arizona. She stood there rather sheepishly. "You haven't been answering my e-mails lately. I really wanted to come over and see you...to talk to you in person...Teddy told me that she received your wedding invitation a couple of days ago..."

Callie cut her off. "How did you even know where we lived?" asked Callie not pleased at all to see Arizona standing at the front door.

"I pried the address out of Teddy...don't blame her...I was relentless. I really want to talk to you...you owe me that much." said Arizona.

"I don't owe you anything Arizona. But fine if letting you say what you have to say will get you to leave me alone...then fine...come in." said Callie. She moved out of the way and walked over to the couch. She picked up the remote and muted the television. "You wanted to talk...so talk." Callie ran a frustrated hand through her hair.

"I made a mistake when I left you here in Seattle. I was just angry with you because you hadn't been honest with me. And I realized that you and I didn't want the same things. And that was hard for me...but being away from you gave me the chance to realize what was really important to me. You are what is important to me. I am willing to do anything to make this work. I know that you are only with Mark because he is taking care of you. But I can take care of you. I can be there for you." said Arizona.

"Maybe I wasn't honest with you and that was wrong. But I was still willing to give up my life here because I loved you and I didn't want to lose you. You walked away from me...you walked away from everything that we shared. And there is nothing that you can do that is going to make me want to take you back. I don't hate you Arizona. I am just over you. And don't presume to know my motivations behind marrying Mark. Because you are as clueless about my relationship with him as you were about my relationship with you. I have loved Mark for a very long time because he is my best friend and he's always been in my corner...he's always been right there for me when I needed him. We've just never been able to make anything serious work but now we both are ready. I love him and I want to marry him. He loves me and he wants to marry me. We both want children. When I wake up next to him I smile because I know there isn't anywhere else in the world I want to be. When I woke up from my coma he was right there. Mark could have ran from this relationship but he didn't." said Callie.

Callie's words cut through Arizona like a thousand knives. She said "If you loved him so much then why were you with me? Why was he with Lexie?"

"Of course I loved you. But what you and I had isn't the same thing I have with Mark. You had to know that...that was one of the reasons you were always jealous about my connection to Mark. Because you knew that it was more than physical. You knew that under the right circumstances that I would go back to Mark and you hated that." said Callie. "We were fooling ourselves Arizona..."

"You certainly didn't wait long to hook up with him after I left for Malawi..." said Arizona in a accusing tone.

"Is there supposed to be a wait time? I moved in with Mark because I was lonely and broken because of our break up. Mark was lonely too. And we connected like we always do...and the next day I almost died. I can't even remember getting shot...I still don't remember what led up to me being shot...but what I do remember is waking up from that coma and realizing that I have pissed my life away in bad relationship after bad relationship when the right one was staring me in the face all along. Life is short and I want to spend the rest of my days happy with Mark. We can be friends if you can find it in your heart to move on. But that is all you and I can ever be. Because in a couple of weeks...I am going to be Callie Torres-Sloan. And I'm pregnant..." said Callie.

Arizona couldn't find words at the moment. She stood up and walked out of the house without another word. Arizona walked out to her car. She stood there replaying what Callie said to her.

Mark was jogging back toward the house and slowed down and looked at Arizona. He could see tears in her eyes. He didn't know what to say to her. "Are you okay?" asked Mark with true concern.

"No! Because the woman I love just told me that she is going to become Callie Torres-Sloan. You...you and your man parts!" said Arizona. She got into her car slamming the door. She pulled off quickly nearly clipping a neighbor's car.

Mark turned and walked towards the house wondering what sort of state Callie would be in. Mark walked into the house and prepared himself for the worst. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw her watching television as if nothing had happened. Mark chuckled and said "My run was good...how are you doing? I saw Arizona standing outside of the house when I made it back...she was pretty upset."

Callie said "Yeah she left out of here pretty upset...but I told her the truth...I am going to marry you and I love you. And we're having a baby... Sometimes...the truth hurts. And even though I am done with her I don't want to hurt her but I don't want her to think there is any chance of the two of us getting back together because that would be cruel..."

Mark said "And you are sure about this...?"

Callie chuckled and said "Stop asking me that. Yes, I am sure that I want to marry you. I don't care how many times you ask me the answer is always going to be the same."

Mark leaned down and kissed her softly. "I just want to know that you still want to do this. I love you Cal. I am sweaty...I think I am going to go get a shower."

Callie grabbed his hand and smirked. "You know you are so sexy when you are all sweaty...I was thinking maybe we could get me all sweaty too?" Callie kissed him.

Mark laughed and said "You are a dirty girl..." Mark said 'Do you want to go to the bedroom?" Mark peeled off his sweat soaked shirt.

Callie shook her head and said "I want to do it right here on the couch." She laughed and pulled her dress off over her head and tossed it at Mark.

Mark smirked and said "Mrs. Sloan...are you trying to seduce me?"

Callie laughed and said "You bet your sweet ass I am."


	6. Chapter 6

Mark sat in the exam room with Callie. He could see how tired she was and knew that this appointment was wearing her down. They had been there for nearly two hours now. Callie's OB/GYN Dr. Lucy Fields had given Callie a physical, a pelvic exam, asked for a full and complete medical, sexual, and family history, and had taken blood samples, urine samples, and cultures to be processed by the lab. And they had a very long conversation about the state of Callie's health and the stress a pregnancy would put on her body. And after all of that the appointment was still not complete. Right now Dr. Fields was just turning on the ultrasound.

Lucy smiled at Callie. "Since we can't really pin point your date of conception we are going to use the ultrasound to see just how far along you are. Okay this is going to be cold." Lucy spread the gel on Callie's abdomen and moved the wand until the baby came into view on the screen. "Okay there is your baby. We are going to measure from the crown of the baby's head to his rump...and we should be able to determine just how old he or she might be." Lucy went to work and wrote the information down in the chart. "Going by the measurements you are about 9 weeks pregnant...give or take a few days. So your due date will be around September 20."

Callie smiled seeing their baby on the screen. She squeezed Mark's hand as tight as she could. She struggled to think back to 9 weeks ago. She let out a soft chuckle when she remembered that about nine weeks ago was the first time she had felt well enough to have sex again. Callie and Mark had enjoyed a very long and very active weekend together. Callie asked "Do you remember...?"

Mark thought about it and said "Oh yeah, I definitely remember that weekend. I remember every part of that weekend." Mark had been without sex for more than two months before they had finally had sex but he hadn't wanted to rush Callie before she was psychically well enough. That weekend was like his own personal holiday. He kissed Callie's cheek and stared at the screen. He couldn't believe that was really their baby. More than anything Mark wanted to be a dad. He had missed out on too many chances already. This kid meant everything to him. A million different things ran through his head. They had a lot to figure out.

She turned on the sound and suddenly you could hear the rhythmic heartbeat of the baby. "And there is your baby's heartbeat nice and strong."

Callie closed her eyes and just listened to the heartbeat.

Mark had never been so happy in his life. At one point he thought that he was going to lose Callie. But here they were months later Callie was getting healthier, they were happy together, and now they were having a baby together. Mark couldn't think of anything to could make him happier at the moment. He kissed Callie's cheek seeing that she was crying. "It's okay Cal..." whispered Mark against her ear.

Callie nodded and said "I know...I am just...I am happy." She smiled a little and brushed away her tears. She took in a deep breath and relaxed.

Lucy turned off the ultrasound and handed Callie paper towel to wipe the gel off of her stomach. Lucy handed Callie a prescription. "This is for your prenatal vitamins I want to get you started on those right away. Because of the trauma you've suffered I am going to want to see you in two weeks to do another check up. We will keep a close eye on you but at some point this pregnancy may become too much for you. Do you two have any questions?"

Callie and Mark looked at each other and shook their heads. "No, I don't think we have any questions but thank you Dr. Fields." said Mark shaking her hand.

She nodded and said "I'll see you two in two weeks." She walked out of the room closing the door behind her.

Mark sat there a moment after Dr. Fields exited the room. He had to smile to himself as he thought about just how lucky they were. But behind his happiness was worry. Callie's health was tenuous at best. A pregnancy wasn't exactly the best thing at the moment. "We need to have a serious conversation Cal..."said Mark looking at her as she got dressed.

"I don't care what happens I am going through with this pregnancy Mark." said Callie noticing the pensive look on his face. She knew what the risks were and she was willing to take them. She wanted this baby.

"At the risk of your own life?" questioned Mark. He cleared his throat trying to form the words he was about to say next. He wanted this baby too. He wanted to be a father and it was nice to be with a woman that wanted him to be the father too. "Cal, there is only one you...I can't replace you...we can always try for another baby when you are healthier...stronger..." said Mark his voice cracking as he spoke. He felt tears filling his eyes. "We can try again..."

"What if this is our only chance? What if we don't get another chance to have a baby? Nothing in life is guaranteed Mark. Bad things happen...we're pregnant and I am not about to abort this baby because you are scared...I am not afraid of dying and more than anything I want this baby...I want to bring this little life into the world." said Callie in a determined voice. Tears started building up in her eyes and slowly slipped down her cheeks.

Mark nodded and said "Okay..." he walked over and hugged her tightly. He knew that it was his mission to make this pregnancy go as smoothly as he possibly could. "Come on let's get the two of you home...you should probably get some rest..." said Mark.

"Mark, I am not an invalid. I don't need to rest. Why don't we go to the park?" asked Callie. "I am fine."

"No, you don't get to pretend like everything is okay when it isn't. You've got to take care of yourself Cal...please. Maybe you aren't afraid of dying but I am damn sure afraid of losing you." said Mark angrily.

Callie was stunned by his reaction but nodded slightly. "We are going to be okay Mark...maybe resting would be good...you could rest with us." said Callie. She gently took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "That's our baby in there...the baby we created." whispered Callie. "You can't tell me that you really want me to give up on that...me having an abortion would kill you...and this relationship and you know it..."Callie stood up and walked out of the room using her crutches.

Once they made it to the car Mark turned to look at her. "I am sorry for getting upset. But you have to know that I love you and that nothing…nothing would or could change that. If you had to terminate this pregnancy for your health and welfare I would never fault you for that Callie…never." said Mark. "Do you believe me?"

Callie was silent for a moment before she said "I believe…that you believe that…but I don't believe that it is true. I think you would be destroyed if we had to terminate this pregnancy…and try as you might…it would always be the pink elephant in the room that we didn't speak of…I don't want to talk about it anymore…please…" Callie turned away from him so that he wouldn't see her tears.

"That isn't true Callie…it isn't true." said Mark. He reached over and gently squeezed her hand. He sighed and started the car. He didn't know what to say to her right now. He didn't know how to make her believe him.

The ride home was silent and awkward. And when they pulled up at the house Callie got out of the car without a word to Mark and went into the house and into their bedroom.

Mark watched her walk away from him and stood in the living room feeling helpless to do anything about this situation. He was kicking himself from bringing up termination to begin with. Mark walked into the bedroom and watched Callie changing clothes. Mark kicked off his shoes and climbed into the bed with Callie. "I am sorry for upsetting you Callie…that wasn't my intention."

"I know that Mark." said Callie curling up in the bed. "And you have a view point that I don't because…you sat around wondering if I was going to die…and that fear is still very real for you. And I am sorry for dismissing that…it isn't fair." said Callie.

Mark wrapped his arms around her and said "You are right I am scared. The thought of losing you…when you first came home from the hospital some nights I would find myself watching you sleep at night because I was scared…I was scared that you were going to slip away from me somehow. It is stupid…I am more affected by your near death experience than you are…"

"It isn't stupid, Mark. You sat by my bedside for days…you watched them shock my heart back into rhythm when it stopped. You have every right to be scared…you probably have a bit of post traumatic stress about it. I don't want to leave you…I don't want to die. But I don't want to give up on this baby either. After I heard that heartbeat today…I can't Mark…it will kill me…Dr. Fields wants to monitor me closely, I could get better Mark…I could. " said Callie.

"I know…" Mark kissed her softly. He lightly brushed away her tears. "We are going to face this head on…we are going to take every precaution" said Mark kissing her softly.

"Thank you…"whispered Callie.


	7. Chapter 7

Derek walked over and straightened Mark's tie for him. "You sure that you are ready for everything that comes with being a married man? There is no turning back after we walk out of this room." Derek chuckled looking at the expression on Mark's face. "Alright alright you are serious about this. I am happy for you, for awhile I thought that you were going to be a perpetual adolescent. I figured you'd end up moving in with me and Meredith in your old age."

Mark chuckled at Derek. "Well, I finally realized that you miss out on a lot of things when you refuse to grow up. Peter Pan never told you that part when he was touting the benefits of being a man-child forever. But I am ready...I want this and I want it with Callie. It is nice finally getting everything that I want. I can't wait to get her on this honeymoon." Mark had gone out of his way to plan a great honeymoon for Callie. He had not even told her where they were going. He wanted to keep it a secret until they left for the airport later tonight.

Derek quirked an eyebrow at him and said "You do realize that Wendy grew up without Peter Pan...so he didn't get her...he didn't get everything he wanted." He laughed. "Well, I always thought that you got everything you wanted...it always looked that way. Where are the two of you going for your honeymoon anyway?"

Mark shook his head. "I was just always too stubborn to change. But Callie was worth trying for. Now I carry around my baby's sonogram picture and a picture of Callie wherever I go...because I want to remember...I want to remember what I am sacrificing if I decide to be selfish. I am taking her to Hawaii for a week. You don't know the kind of ass I had to kiss to get Richard to agree to that." Mark glanced at his watch and said "Well, it is about that time. We need to take our places." Mark took one last look in the mirror at his Armani tuxedo before he walked out of the room at the country club and walked out to the courtyard where the wedding was being held. The sun was just starting to set and it made a beautiful backdrop for the tastefully decorated courtyard. The noise from the fountain made a nice undertone to the soft music being played by the string quartet. Mark and Derek took their places in front of the fountain with the priest. Mark shook hands with the priest. "Thank you for being here father."

The guest list was short and sweet but the people that mattered were present. Derek, Meredith, Cristina, Owen, Addison, Sam, Teddy, Henry, Chief Webber, and his wife.

Soon the music, The Very Thought of You, started playing and Cristina walked down the aisle first serving as Callie's maid of honor. She was wearing a navy blue, halter, cocktail dress. As she walked passed Mark she said "Don't screw up Sloan." Cristina took her place on the other side as all of the guests stood up and Callie began to walk down the aisle.

Mark's eyes were glued to Callie as she made her way down the aisle to him. He couldn't believe just how beautiful she looked in the moment. Callie's dress was a sleeveless white lace dress that complimented her curves and that flowed into a chapel train. Her dark locks were curly and framed her face along with a white lace mantilla. Her baby bump was obvious in the dress but to Mark that made her look even more beautiful. Callie was carrying a bouquet of white long stem tulips.

Callie finally reached Mark and reached out for his hand.

Mark smile looked into her eyes as he took her hands. "I love you." whispered Mark. He kissed her hand gently.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today in the sight of God to join Mark Sloan and Callie Torres in holy matrimony. Love is a gift given to us by God himself and it is to be cherished and appreciated for eternity. Through marriage, Mark and Callie make a commitment together to face all of life's disappointments together as whole-heartedly as they embrace their happiness. They are vowing to accept one another's failures with the same open heart that they accept one another's success. Mark and Callie will promise one another to aspire to these ideals throughout their lives together. Do you Mark Sloan take Callie Torres to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?" asked the priest.

Lexie quietly took a seat in the last row and observed the ceremony.

"I do." said Mark with a smile.

"Do you Callie Torres take Mark Sloan to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?" asked the priest.

"I do..." said Callie tearing up. She was a hormonal wreck lately.

"Do we have the rings?" asked the priest

Derek fished around in his pocket for the ring box and said "Here."

Mark flipped the ring box opened and frowned. "Derek...where is the ring?" asked Mark showing him the empty box.

Derek stared at the box shocked. "Uh...it was in there last night. I swear." Derek shoved his hands into his pants' pockets looking for the ring. "It...it's not here."

Lexie took that moment to stand up. She had tears in her eyes. It felt like her heart was being ripped out watching Mark marry Callie. Lexie made her way to Mark. "Maybe you can't find the ring because you aren't supposed to marry her! You love me...and you know that you do. I don't know if you are marrying her out of pity or guilt...or just because you think that she's your only chance...I don't know what is going through your head. But I love you and I know that you love me too. And I know that you want a life with me! I just need time Mark. I need time to get my career on track and then you and I can have everything you've always dreamed of. Marrying her is the biggest mistake that you will ever make and I can't let you do that...I love you! You are supposed to be with me."

Callie's blood was boiling listening to Lexie spout off. "Listen you little nitwit..."

Mark cut her off. "Callie...let me handle this please..." He didn't want Callie getting upset. He kissed Callie's cheek trying to calm her down. He turned his attention to Lexie. "I did love you at one point. You are a great girl and one day you will have everything you want in life. But it won't be with me...I'm with Callie now and the life that I am building with her...that is what I want."

"You are only with her because she is pregnant! She trapped you into this marriage!" said Lexie. She whirled around and glared at Callie. "You are taking advantage of him." Lexie shoved Callie harder than she anticipated and Callie flew backwards into the stone fountain whacking her head against it in the process.

Callie got back up before anyone could even rush to her side. "You stupid little bitch!" yelled Callie giving Lexie a sound punch to the face. The punch sounded like a crack when it landed.

Derek and Owen grabbed Lexie and carried her out of the courtyard.

Lexie's face was bleeding where Callie's engagement ring had cut her but also where Callie's fist had caused her nose to bleed.

Meredith said "I am so sorry Callie." Meredith rushed out after Owen and Derek to try to talk to Lexie.

Mark looked Callie over making sure that she was okay. "Are you okay? Did you hit your head when you fell?" asked Mark.

Chief Webber grabbed a chair for Callie and helped her sit down.

Callie shook her head. "I am fine...I am fine...I just want to finish getting married..." The truth was that Callie had hit her head on the fountain but she knew that Mark would make a big deal about it and he'd want to take her to the hospital.

Mark said "Just calm down and catch your breath." Mark took her pulse. "Your heart is racing...just take your time and calm down..." said Mark kissing her cheek.

Derek and Owen returned without Meredith and Lexie. Derek walked over to Mark. "Meredith is taking Lexie home...I am sorry about all of this. I have a feeling that Lexie is the one that stole your ring." Derek didn't know why he hadn't checked the box before leaving the house for the wedding. He just didn't think that Lexie would go quite so far.

Mark said "I am not worried about it." Derek patted his best friend on the back. Right now he was more worried about Callie.

Callie didn't want to admit it but she was feeling really light headed at the moment and she was glad that she was seated. Callie sat there for ten minutes before she finally said "Mark I want to finish the ceremony..."

Mark looked into her eyed and nodded. "Okay...we will...we need a stand in for a ring..."

Chief Webber took a key ring off of his set of keys. "It isn't exactly beautiful but it'll do in a pinch."

Mark said "Thanks Richard." Mark looked to the priest. "Uh father...could we continue?"

The priest nodded and said "If you are sure..."

Callie and Mark both nodded. "We are sure." said Callie.

"May I have the uh...rings?" asked the priest.

Mark handed him the key ring.

Cristina handed him the other ring

The priest looked to Mark first and handed him the ring. "Mark as you place this ring on Callie's finger repeat after me: Callie this ring is a symbol of my love and our unity, and with this ring I thee wed."

Mark slipped the ring onto her finger and said "Callie this ring is a symbol of my love and our unity, and with this ring I thee wed."

The priest then looked at Callie and handed her the ring. "Callie as you place this ring on Mark's finger repeat after me: Mark this ring is a symbol of my love and our unity, and with this ring I thee wed."

Callie slipped the wedding band onto Mark's finger as she said "Mark this ring is a symbol of my love and our unity, and with this ring I thee wed."

"And so, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May the rest of your days be good and long upon this earth. Mark, you may now kiss the bride."

Mark took Callie into his arms and kissed her passionately. After the kiss he smiled looking into her eyes. "I love you Callie."

Everyone in attendance clapped after Mark and Callie kissed.

Callie smiled up at Mark. "Well, we did it...and now you are stuck with me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." said Mark with a smile. "So we will stay here for a couple of hours with our friends and then you and I will be leaving for our week long honeymoon. No interruptions. No crazy exes trying to break us up..."

Callie chuckled softly. "That sounds like music to my ears. I still want to know where we are going for our honeymoon. I am so excited. I am going to go change into my dress for the reception. I'll be back soon. I expect you to tell me where we are going when I come back." She kissed him one more time.

Mark smiled and said "Alright I will be waiting for you in the ballroom. I am going to go inside and have a drink."

Callie chuckled and headed inside the club. Callie walked back to the room she used for the bridal suite. Callie walked into the room and closed the door. She had a seat on the couch in the room and tried to make the dizziness she felt go away.

Mark headed inside with Derek to the ballroom. He smiled seeing that it was decorated the way that Callie had hoped. Mark went over to the bar and said "Scotch please...straight up." Mark sat down with his glass of scotch waiting on Callie to come back out.

Derek came over and had a seat with Mark. "How are you holding up with all of this?"

"I am just glad that Callie wasn't seriously hurt. Lexie was out of her mind...I am lucky that Callie even wanted to go through with this still." said Mark shaking his head. "Thank you for escorting her out by the way..."

Derek said "Well, she is my sister-in-law. I thought I should get her out of here before Callie put her into a full body cast. Your wife looked like she was ready to kill her. Callie throws one hell of a punch."

Mark chuckled a little and said "My wife...never thought I'd have one of those...but it feels right. And yeah you are right. I think Callie might have been a boxer in a previous life."

Derek chuckled and said "Welcome to the ranks of married men." He chuckled and said "Remind me to never piss her off." "I am going to go give Meredith a call and see how things are going with Lexie."

Mark nodded and said "Alright." Mark had a seat at their table and waited on Callie to come out. After awhile Mark wondered where Callie was. He got up from the table and went to the suite to check on Callie. Mark knocked lightly and then walked into the room. "Cal?' asked Mark as he walked into the room. He stopped seeing her lying on the floor unconscious. "Cal!" yelled Mark running over to her. 


	8. Chapter 8

A couple of hours later Mark sat next to Callie's hospital bed and lightly brushed the hair away from her face. He was worried about her. He hated that their wedding had been ruined and no less by his ex-girlfriend. "Who knew marrying me would end up being such a pain in the ass?" asked Mark looking at Callie.

She laughed softly. "We've got to stop meeting like this..." She squeezed his hand gently. "Don't be the martyr Sloan it doesn't suit you. What happened tonight was not your fault. Little Grey briefly lost her damn mind is all. I am okay. I have a concussion but Derek says that I am fine. You trust him right?" Callie had been examined from head to toe to make sure that she hadn't sustained any other injuries. Her wrist was sprained and she had a concussion but all in all she was doing well considering.

"Of course I trust him and I checked you out for myself. I know that you are going to be okay...but the baby. I've made a lot of wrong choices and I am willing to take my medicine concerning them. But that doesn't and shouldn't include my wife losing our baby." said Mark shaking his head. "When I walked in there and found you laying there on the floor I didn't know what to do...I was scared that I lost you."

"Mark, Dr. Fields said that the baby is fine too. I was just spotting a little bit and it has stopped now. I am fine...and I am going to be fine. And then you and I are going to hop a flight and go on our honeymoon...that you've never told me the destination of anyway." She lightly squeezed his hand. "Come on...we're okay Mark." She put his hand on her stomach. Callie could see the fear in Mark's eyes. She felt that same fear when she initially woke up in the hospital. Her first thought was worrying that she had lost the baby.

Mark said "I think that maybe you and I should move. We've talked about it before. Maybe taking off for a year and just spending time with each other and our baby. I think that maybe this is the time to make that move. I don't care where. L.A., Miami, New York, Las Vegas. You can choose. We talked about maybe spending some time in Miami... the bottom line is that for now we need to put some space between us and our problems. No Lexie...no Arizona...just our family."

"Are you crazy? We can't just pick up and leave Seattle. This is our home. Our friends are here. We can't just leave Mark. That is crazy." said Callie. But she could see the determined look on Mark's face. "I know that we've talked about it before but what about your job here at the hospital? What about the life that we have here? Do you want to move permanently?" Callie sat up in the bed more so that she could focus more. She was feeling tired but she wanted to make sure she understood what Mark was actually proposing.

Mark put a pillow behind Callie's back to help her sit all the way up in the bed."It will give me more time to spend time with you. Besides my skills are portable, I can practice anywhere really. Can't you just see me being a South Beach plastic surgeon? Tummy tucking my way through all of the middle aged beach going divorcees? " said Mark with a smirk. He knew that from past conversations Callie was interested in going back to Miami. This was the perfect opportunity to do that.

Callie laughed softly. "This is crazy Mark...can we really just take off and move across country together?" Her face sobered. "What if you regret it...?" asked Callie. Mark had been making a lot of big changes in his life lately and she was worried that this might be the one that broke the camel's back. "You have changed your life...so much for me...you gave up the single life...you gave up ever having sex with another woman..."

"How can I regret it? I'll be with the woman I love...and unless you turn into a celibate psychotic...I think that you will keep me very happy. You gave up have sex with other women too. We both made a sacrifice." said Mark chuckling. "More than my wife you are one of my best friends. We are going to be okay...so are you with me?"

Callie laughed and said "Well, yes I did give up sex with women too. We do have that in common." Callie smiled looking into his eyes. She nodded. "I'm with you. We'll do this together. I guess that we are moving at some point in the near future. Cristina is going to kill you...I hope you know." "So are you going to tell me where we are going for our honeymoon? I think I've been rather patient through all of this."

Mark smiled hearing that Callie was willing to move with him. He leaned over into the bed and kissed her softly. "I am glad that you are with me. And I am not worried about Yang, we'll just tell her at the last minute. We are going to Hawaii for our honeymoon. I had to change our flight but we will leave out at noon tomorrow and we will arrive in Oahu 7:00 tomorrow night. I had booked our flight for tonight that way we could have just flown overnight...but this works too."

Callie's face lit up. "We are going to Hawaii? Mark, that is the best honeymoon...ever. You are good at this husband thing. Oh, don't worry about the flight change. I can sleep just as well during the day as I can at night." Callie was tired a lot lately so sleeping came natural for her.

He chuckled and said "Well, you've mentioned it once before. I thought it would be perfect for us. I've got a couple of surprises up my sleeves. And we are flying first class so you should be comfortable enough to get some much needed rest. I am going to have a talk with Richard if he is still here tonight. I want to give him a heads up..."

Addison knocked and then walked into the room. "I brought cake...I thought you two might actually want to taste the cake from your wedding."

Mark smiled and said "I am sure Cal wants some. I need to run an errand but I will be back in a bit to taste the cake." He kissed Callie and then left the room.

Mark paced the floor in the Chief's office as he waited for him to come back. Mark had made a decision and he needed to talk to the Chief about it now. It was a decision he had been toying with for awhile now but after what happened tonight Mark knew that this was the right choice. He looked up when the office door opened. "Richard..."

Richard quirked an eyebrow at Mark. "Is everything okay? I just stopped in to talk to Shepherd and it seems like any major crisis was averted. Derek got a look at her and she just has a concussion and a sprained wrist. She should be ready to fly in a couple of hours. We'll keep an eye on her here until then."

"She started spotting..." said Mark looking at the older man. "Fields checked her out and the baby is fine but...I can't keep putting us through this. Maybe we've made some mistakes...but we don't deserve this. Maybe I do, but Callie doesn't. I am scared enough with Callie even going through with this pregnancy because of her health. And now something like this happens...I am putting in my notice that I am resigning." Mark set an envelope on his desk. "I've been thinking about this for awhile...I've been holding this letter back but I don't think I can do that anymore."

Richard had a seat behind his desk and opened the envelope. He scanned over the letter and looked up at Mark. "You are the best damn plastics guy that we have here. Replacing you will not be quick or easy. I want you to think this through...I know that right now you are on edge but...there has to be a way to make this work."

Mark said "I don't think there is...Arizona has shown up at my house. Lexie interrupted my wedding and shoved my pregnant wife. Anything could have happened...we lucked out that nothing major happened. But I can't leave this to chance or fate. I am not willing to let anything happen to my wife or my baby...not for this job."

"How does resigning from the hospital stop all of your problems?" asked Richard confused.

"I talked to Callie tonight and I told her that I wanted to move. We have talked about moving before but it was just sort of thinking out loud thing. But we talked tonight and she is willing to move." said Mark. "After our honeymoon we'll pack up and we'll be moving to Miami, Florida. This is the best move for us. I'll take some time off and focus on my wife and our new baby." said Mark.

"You and Torres are leaving Seattle...?" asked Richard shocked.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning Callie was released from the hospital and she and Mark went home to shower and change for their flight later in the day. Afterward they went to a local cafe to meet with Derek, Meredith, Miranda, Addison, Sam, Cristina, and Owen for breakfast. Callie sat in the passenger seat of the car and rested her hand on her rounded stomach. "What do you think everyone will think?" asked Callie curiously. She looked over at Mark.

"I think that they will be shocked. This is sort of coming out of left field. Like Richard they will probably see it as an overreaction…but this is about more than what happened yesterday with Lexie." said Mark. "You know that right?" asked Mark. He wondered if Callie was just going along with him because she loved him.

She smiled softly and reached over resting her hand on his leg. "Of course I understand that Mark. I am happy about the move. I never do spontaneous things…this is great. And Miami is like home for me…"

Mark smiled and said "Good, I was hoping that I hadn't bullied you into making a move that you weren't ready for…"

Callie laughed and asked "When have you ever known me to be timid about speaking my mind, Sloan?" She chuckled thinking that it was absurd. "I am happy with you and I would be happy with you anywhere…"

"You do know that since we are going to Miami you are going to have to see your family. There is no way that we can be in the same city with them and not stop in to see them…and tell them that you are pregnant…" said Mark glancing over at Callie briefly. "And that we are now married…" added Mark with a chuckle.

Callie folded her arms over her chest defensively. "I will be doing no such thing. I nearly died and my parents couldn't be bothered to come to Seattle to see if I was going to make it…I want nothing to do with them. You already knew that Mark Sloan."

"I know that your father has done a lot to hurt you. And by no means am I saying that you should forgive and forget…but I don't have a relationship with my parents…and if you don't have a relationship with your parents either…then our kid is going to be grandparent-less." reasoned Mark.

Callie scowled at him. She hated when he made perfect sense. She smirked slightly. "If we have to visit my parents then you owe me. Just know that some point in the future I will call on you for a favor…"

Mark burst into laughter and asked "What are you the godfather?"

Callie smirked and said "Worse…I am Cuban so I am Scarface. But that is beside the point. Do you agree to my terms?" She chuckled softly. Seeing Mark mulling the proposal over in his head.

Mark said "Fine…I will agree to this…just so that I can see what that devious mind of yours is working up in the meantime. We have enough time to go in and have breakfast and talk to everyone and then we have to leave if we want to make it to the airport in enough time to get through security."

"I walk slower than normal so we definitely need the extra time at the airport. I am really excited about this. Maybe I could call my sister Aria and have her look for rental places for us…" said Callie.

"I don't know if I would rather rent something or buy something. Hear me out before you shoot me down. Miami is where your family is from. It is a great vacation spot. Even if we were to come back to Seattle we could always keep the house in Miami as a vacation home. The housing market is reeling right now…it might not be bad to pick up a nice piece of property." said Mark.

Callie had a thoughtful look on her face. "I won't say yes or no right now but I will think about it. Having a vacation home in Miami might not be bad…I do love Miami. And I would love to be able to take our little one there over the years. And Orlando is like three hours away which means we could take our little one to the happiest place on Earth…"

"Do we really have to go there?" asked Mark making a face. "That place gives me the creeps it is like a cult for children…"

"A cult?" asked Callie laughing so loud she snorted a little. She covered her mouth and laughed harder. "Children love the place and we will just have to sacrifice our sanity for our child. Besides…there is golf there…"

"Did you just snort?" asked Mark laughing at her. The longer he knew her the cuter she became to him. "Well…golf makes it better…but only slightly."

Callie playfully pinched his knee. "No! I did not! And Disney is not a cult…it is just a really popular organization." She laughed at him and said "I knew the golf would pull you in."

"It indoctrinates you before you can even walk!" countered Mark laughing. Mark pulled into the parking lot of the diner and was glad to snag one of the last parking spaces. He leaned over and kissed her softly. "You ready to go beautiful?"

Callie said "You are a very twisted man." She kissed him and smiled. "Yes, I am ready. Let's rock n roll." Callie climbed out of the car and made her way into the diner with Mark. Callie and Mark were the last to arrive. Callie smiled at everyone. "Sorry that we were late. Mark held us up looking in the mirror at himself." said Callie chuckling as she had a seat at the table.

Mark smiled and said "Sure, I am the one that kept changing my outfit." He winked at Callie and had a seat next to her. "Have you guys ordered yet?" asked Mark.

Derek shook his head and said "No, we decided to wait on the two of you to arrive." Derek looked around for the waitress and managed to get her attention.

Everyone ordered breakfast and after the waitress left the table Mark said "So we invited all of you for breakfast because we wanted to tell all of you some important news...last night I gave Richard my letter of resignation. I am going to use up my vacation time and then work two weeks...and then I will be leaving the hospital."

Derek's smile faded and he quirked an eyebrow at Mark. "What? Are you taking a job at another hospital?" Derek was shocked. Mark usually came to him with big things like this. He didn't know what to think or what to say.

"Is this about what happened last night at the wedding? I mean sure Little Grey went a little crazy but I am sure it won't happen again...I mean you two just can't pick up and leave Seattle...right?" said Cristina.

Everyone at the table looked at them expectantly for answers.

"Sure, what happened at the wedding has a little to do with it...Arizona showing up at our house a few times has a little to do with it too. But mostly Callie and I think this is the best move for our family to get away from it all for awhile and just focus on being a family. I had been considering it anyway...I want to be able to be home with Callie after she has the baby." explained Mark. He continued. "And we aren't saying that we are never coming back to Seattle because that would just be lunacy..."

"Well, where are the two of you moving to?" asked Addison speaking up for the first time since Mark broke the news.

"We are still talking over the location but we were thinking that Miami sounds nice. The weather is great there pretty much year round and business is good there for plastic surgeons even in a recession so if we decided to stay longer and Mark wanted to work he'd be in a good place to do that. We know that this seems out of the blue...and I guess in a way it is...but...we think that we have to do this." said Callie. Callie was actually pretty excited about going to Miami.

Owen was the first to regain his composure. "Well, then congratulations are in order...we will definitely miss the both of you. I don't know how Richard is going to find a plastics guy good enough to replace you Mark. He's had a hard enough time trying to replace Callie."

Cristina shot Owen a dirty look to silence him. "I am not celebrating this...I think it is a bone headed move." Cristina huffed angrily. She was just getting back into her groove at the hospital after her mini-breakdown.

Callie smiled slightly. "Cristina, you know that we won't be able to stay away from Seattle forever...our favorite people live and work here. Well, Addie you are in L.A., but the point is everyone we love is right here on the west coast. We won't be gone forever."

"It is no secret that Callie's pregnancy is high risk..." said Mark looking around the table at knowing faces. "I just want to give her and the baby a safe and calm environment for the last part of this pregnancy. Besides we will get to enjoy our newlywed phase together with lots and lots of sex." said Mark chuckling.

"Really, Mark...?" asked Addison shaking her head. "This is something you feel like you have to do and I completely get that. I felt the same way when I took off from L.A." said Addison.

"But you didn't come back." argued Cristina. "Though I guess you did leave for similar reasons…romantic relationships at the hospital tend to get messy."

"We are going to want our little girl to get to know all of the people we love and care about we will be back...you have our word..." said Callie seriously.

"Little girl?" asked Derek catching that.

Mark chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I will be welcoming another Sloan girl into the world. How does the biggest whore in the world wind up with two daughters? I think it is karma..."

Addison laughed and said "Poetic justice is more like it."

Callie smiled and said "She'll be a good girl because her daddy will be right there letting all of the boys know that he can disfigure them with his scalpel."

"And her mother will be right there letting them know that she is literally a bone breaker." said Mark with a smirk looking at his wife. He loved the way her eyes lit up when she talked about their baby girl. "Maybe she will be a nun..." said Mark in a hopeful voice.

That brought laughter from the entire table. The waitress brought over their orders.

"That isn't very likely. Keep dreaming brother…keep dreaming." said Derek chuckling.

Cristina nodded and said "I mean look at who her parents are!" She smiled and said "Well, I guess the good thing about this that you can't ask me to babysit the little human. That is definitely a plus. I am not babysitter material."

Owen smiled and said "Oh, Cristina I think you are more maternal than you give yourself credit for..."

Callie laughed softly. "Maybe deep down..."

"Way deep down..." said Meredith speaking for the first time. She had been silent for the entire conversation because of what her sister did the previous night. She felt a little guilty.

Cristina nodded at Callie and Meredith. "See they both know me well. Care giving is not my thing. I am more the cool aunt that buys them crap and gives them candy but never takes them anywhere." 

Everyone enjoyed breakfast and chatted amongst themselves. About an hour later Mark looked at his watch and said "I hate to cut this short guys but we need to head to the airport if we are going to make our flight on time. You know how airport security can be. Especially this time of day...we just wanted you to hear the news from us and not from anyone else. I am sure that rumors will start going around immediately now that the Chief will start looking for my replacement..." Mark helped Callie stand up.

Everyone said their goodbyes and Mark and Callie left for the airport.


	10. Chapter 10

Callie stood outside on the lanai listening to the waves crash against the shore. That sounds was like music to her ears. The smell of the ocean air took her back to her childhood in Miami. She smiled to herself and thought that Mark could not have picked a better destination than Hawaii. Callie had a seat on a chaise lounge putting her feet up. She pulled a blanket over her as the cool morning air blew across her body. Mark was still fast asleep so Callie had this time all to herself.

Callie and Mark had spent the last three days in Hawaii enjoying the inside of their ocean villa and she could not complain one bit. She was enjoying her time as a newlywed. She was determined to show Mark that married sex was still hot. Callie chuckled to herself quietly and looked down at the baby name book in her hand. They had picked up the book in the airport and Callie periodically flipped through the pages over the last couple of days. Now that they knew the gender of their bundle of joy, Callie was eager to decide on a name. So far, Callie and Mark had only been able to settle on one thing...no unique names. There would be no Apple Sloan in their family.

Callie picked up her cell phone and looked through her phone book. She called her mother and waited for an answer. Although it was 6 a.m. in Hawaii, it was 11 a.m. in Miami.

"Calliope?" asked Lucia surprised to be getting a phone call from Callie.

"Is everything okay?" asked Lucia. She hadn't spoken with her daughter in more than a year. It had been the toughest decision of her life and she feared it was the wrong one.

"I am fine, mama. I just..." Callie paused feeling like a child hearing the sound of her mother's voice. She had missed her mother so much. She took in a deep breath bracing herself.

"I just wanted to let you know that I am going to be moving to Miami in a few months. I know that you and Papa have no interest in seeing me. I just didn't want it to come as a surprise if you heard about it from Aria," said Callie trying to hold back her bitterness and the hurt that lay just beyond that.

"Miami?" asked Lucia shocked. She would have never believed that Callie would return to Miami to live.

"What hospital will you be working at?" asked Lucia curiously.

She didn't really know how to connect with Callie after such a long time away from one another. Nevertheless, the one thing Callie always loved to talk about was her career.

"I will not be working at any hospital for the time being. I am still not 100% after getting shot and I'm pregnant now so, I am taking some time off," said Callie. The longer she held the phone the more she regretted calling her mother at all. She tried to let the peaceful sounds of the ocean relax her. Over the time they had been estranged Callie had refuse to let herself even think about her mother. It was too painful for her.

"Dios mio...shot?" asked Lucia. "When were you shot Calliope? Are you okay? What is going on?" asked Lucia in shock hearing that her daughter had been shot. Her heart ached and she regretted following Carlos' wishes even more than she already did. "My sweet baby...and you're pregnant?" asked Lucia trying to wrap her mind around all of this new information.

Callie was taken aback by her mother's reaction. "Mama, the hospital called you and Papa. Mark called and talked to you guys months ago when I was shot during a robbery of a local gas station. I was in a coma for days...I had to do physical therapy when I finally got out of the hospital...I was in a wheelchair for a couple of months."

Lucia felt tears slipping down her cheeks as she realized how close she had come to losing her daughter permanently and Carlos had kept that information from her. She found herself unable to form words as she sobbed.

"Mama...?" asked Callie hearing. "He didn't tell you?"

"He didn't tell me anything. I didn't know. Mi hija, I am so sorry. I should have never listened to Carlos. I don't believe in homosexuality but I believe in love...and I should have been there for you. I could have lost you forever and never even known it..." said Lucia crying quietly on the phone.

Callie said "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you. I just...I'm moving to Miami with my husband in a month or so. I just wanted you to know...I'm happy and I am going to be a mother. Goodbye Mama." Callie ended the call and fought back tears. She was regretting calling her mother. However, at the same time she also realized that her mother needed to know the truth. Callie rested her hand on her stomach. "I will never abandon you no matter what you do," said Callie in a soothing voice.

Mark woke up feeling a cool breeze blow across his shirtless chest. He smiled and rolled over to put his arms around Callie. He opened one eye and chuckled seeing that her side of the bed was empty. Mark climbed out of the bed grabbing his boxers from the floor. He stepped into them yawning somewhat and then padded outside to join his wife. "Good morning, Cal." said Mark pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. He smiled seeing the baby name book. "At it again I see." said Mark a smile falling on his lips seeing how excited she was about the baby. Mark had thoroughly enjoyed his first few days of married life. The two of them had made love so many times that even Mark was starting to feel a little worn out. Mark had a seat on the chaise lounge with Callie and peered over at the book in her lap to see what section she was looking at.

Callie smiled softly hearing Mark's voice. "Morning. I thought you would have been asleep for longer...we had a very late night last night," said Callie with a devilish smirk that translated to her eyes as well. She chuckled when Mark mentioned the baby book. "Can you blame me? I am excited about choosing a name for our little girl. She deserves a name...an amazing one at that. Something that says I am the most important person in the world to my parents."

Mark reached over and rested his hand on top of her rounded stomach. "And she will be the most important person in our world. She already is...speaking of are you and the munchkin hungry? I can make breakfast or order something from room service." Mark had picked a resort where they could have the best of both worlds. Their ocean villa was equipped with a small but fully appointed kitchen so that they could cook if they wanted to, but they could also order from the resort's extensive room service menu.

Callie rested a hand on top of Mark's hand and smiled at him. She decided against telling Mark about her conversation with her mother. "No, I am not hungry right now. I ate a muffin and drank some milk before I came out here. I had an early morning craving for something sweet. Besides, I was thinking we might actually leave out today. I do not want to go back home and tell everyone I didn't see anything except for the inside of our villa. I want to do some touristy things like sightseeing and shopping. I want to try some of the local food too. We are going to make the most of this honeymoon because it will be a long time before we will have another vacation." Their chosen professions did not really allow for much vacation time.

Mark frowned but that frown slowly slipped into a smile. "Alright, if we must then we must. We will go out today and see the sights. Maybe we can check out one of those dinner cruises tonight...I think the brochure is on the table in the living room. What else do you want to do today?" Mark scooted back onto the chaise to put his feet up. He was still a little tired but he liked being close to Callie. "So have you found any names in that book that you like?"

"I think the dinner cruise would be great. And lucky for you I don't get seasick. I wouldn't mind going to the Sealife Park to get a look at some of the beautiful creatures there. And of course I want to spend some time on the beach. I've got a little list of things I want to do and see while we are here." Callie had a thoughtful look on her face. "I really like the name Caitlin, Lily, Rose, and Ava. On the other hand, maybe some variation of Lily like Liliana. Do you like any of those names?" asked Callie.

Mark looked over at Callie as she rattled off the names that she liked. "Those are all very nice names. I think I like Caitlin and Lily the best out of the group. Caitlin Sloan has a certain ring to it." He smiled thinking after saying the name aloud. "Given any thought to a middle name?" asked Mark.

Callie smiled brightly. She was happy that Mark liked the names she picked out of the book. "I think Caitlin Sloan is a beautiful name. I haven't really given middle names much thought yet. We need the first name before we can pair up a good middle name. What about you? Have you thought of any names that you'd like for our little girl to have?"

"Hmm, you make a good point. We wouldn't want to choose two opposing names for middle and first." Mark closed his eyes trying to think of the name he had seen a few days ago that he liked. "I like the name Haley. I like the name Emily too."

Callie said, "I like both of those names too. This is really hard. I don't know how people do it. I checked my e-mail this morning and there was a message from that real estate agent that we contacted. She sent a listing of houses that meet our needs. So some time in the next couple of days we will need to look at the places and see if we like anything."

Mark smiled and said, "I hate to tell you this but most people hate their names. No matter how hard we work to choose a good name for our daughter, she will probably hate it. Okay, we will look at the listings today or tomorrow so that we can get back to her." He reached over taking Callie's hand. He looked at her engagement ring and smiled. "When we get back to Seattle my first priority is going to the jeweler and getting a replacement wedding band for you. I will make sure that it is nice than the first."

"There is no rush to get a wedding band for me, Mark. We are no less married just because I only have an engagement ring on my finger. You are still very much my husband and I am very happy to be with you," said Callie with a smile.

Mark kissed her hand and said, "I am just sorry that everything happened the way that it did. I am sure that Lexie stole that wedding band. There is no way that Derek misplaced it. He is meticulous to the point of being anal-retentive. I am just happy that you were still willing to marry me after that."

"You have nothing to apologize for Mark. For once you did not do anything wrong. You cannot be held responsible for the fact that Lexie flipped her lid anymore than I could be held responsible if Arizona would have done the same. You and I are both coming out of very messy break-ups. An uncomfortable moment with our respective exes is just par for the course. And if memory serves me correct I wasn't just willing to marry you...I insisted that we still get married. Right then...right there." Callie looked at the sleepy look on his face. She chuckled softly. "Come on, baby. Let's go back to bed. I am tired." Callie yawned a little.

"I would have preferred that Lexie shoved me and not you. However, we are married now and that is all that matters. However, you gave her a prizefighter punch. Anyway, we will be moving to Miami for a while to get away from the madness. Are you sure that you want to go back to bed? You looked like you were enjoying yourself out here on the lanai," said Mark

She chuckled and said, "I am sure that I am ready to go back to bed. Come on let's go old man." She laughed softly, stood up with the baby book, and headed inside to their bedroom. Callie slipped into their bed and yawned again feeling the sleep coming over her.

"Old man?" asked Mark laughing. He chased her into the villa closing the doors. He walked back into their bedroom and flopped on the bed making Callie laugh. Mark chuckled and pulled Callie into his arms. "This really is paradise you know...just me and you...an island onto ourselves. I have to say...I am looking forward to taking some time off work once we leave Seattle. I love you." Mark leaned in and kissed Callie softly.

"I love you too Mark. Moreover, I cannot think of a better place to be on a honeymoon with you than right here. You know me better than anyone else ever has...I think that is one of the things that Arizona always resented. You knew me in a way she could never fully understand," said Callie. "I love you too Sloan." said Callie. Callie was quiet for a moment and then asked. "When you called my parents after I had been shot...who did you talk to?" Callie had never really thought to ask about it after hearing from the Chief that her parents were not interested in being there.

"Well, it is only fair because you know me so well. You saw through to the real me when no one else could or even wanted to. You saw me for what I was and you loved me anyway. You knew that I was horribly flawed but you loved me anyway," said Mark with a smile. Mark's brow furrowed thinking that was a very strange question for her to ask at a time like this. "I spoke to your father. Why do you ask?"

Callie smiled. "No reason. Get some rest apparently we have an active day ahead of us." She leaned up and kissed him softly before curling up closer to his body and closing her eyes tiredly.


	11. Chapter 11

Mark looked across the table at Callie. He had been worried about her all day. She went through the motions of the day but didn't seem to really enjoy anything. Mark said," You've been quiet all evening. Is everything okay, Cal?"

Callie moved her food around on the plate and shook her head. She suppressed the sigh that was welling up inside of her. Callie had struggled all day to not let her mood ruin their day. "No, I'm not okay, Mark."

Mark wracked his brain trying to remember if he'd done or said anything to upset Callie. He reached over and took her free hand. "What's wrong? Did something happen today?"

Callie set her fork down and looked into Mark's concerned eyes. "I called my mother this morning before you woke up. I realized that you were right about talking to my parents. They needed to know that we are moving to Miami."

"Okay. How did it go?" asked Mark. He wondered why she hadn't bothered to mention this earlier in the day.

"My mom was actually very happy to hear from me. I think she regrets disowning me. But the part that was hard to hear is that my father didn't tell her that I had been shot or that I was in a coma," said Callie. She blinked back tears she could feel forming.

Mark squeezed her hand gently and said, "Cal, I…I don't know what to say."

"My father hates me so much that he didn't care whether I lived or died. What have I ever done that is so awful?" Callie took in a deep breath. She shook her head. "I am sorry for bringing this up at dinner. I didn't want to ruin our day together. I tried so hard not to think about my father but it just kept coming back up."

Mark stood up and moved his chair closer to Callie. He took her hand in both of his and said, "You didn't need to keep this from me, Callie. You didn't need to feel this pain by yourself. I know how much this must hurt you, but there is a bright side. You said that you mother seemed to be regretting her decision. Maybe the two of you can work things out. There might be a chance for a reconciliation."

"I just didn't want to ruin your honeymoon with my crazy family drama. That isn't what a honeymoon is supposed to be all about. And my mother regretting her decision isn't a bright side. I think it makes me sadder. She didn't want to disown me but did to appease my father."

"My honeymoon? I was under the impression that this was your honeymoon, too. You never have to worry about ruining anything for me, Cal. We are husband and wife. We are friends. Even when we weren't dating you were able to come to me with whatever was bothering you. That doesn't change just because we are married." said Mark.

Callie smiled slightly. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Yes, this is my honeymoon. I just wanted this to be a happy occasion. I wanted us to be happy. I want to be happy. I have to get over this. My parents want nothing to do with me and that isn't going to change."

"Well, it might change. You are married to a man. Technically, you are no longer a lesbian," said Mark.

"I was never a lesbian. I was and still am bisexual. I just happen to be married to an amazing man," said Callie.

"My point was that your parents might rethink their stance on disowning you now that you are in a heterosexual relationship."

"I don't want them to rethink their decision. They made their bed and now they can lie in it. I have no interest in them suddenly rejoining my life because I married to a man. I don't want that sort of hate and intolerance around our child," said Callie.

Mark couldn't argue with her on that point. "I agree with you, Callie. But you are lying to yourself if you think that you don't want a relationship with your parents. You still love them even if you believe that they don't love you."

Callie sighed heavily. "I know that. I wish you didn't know that, but I know that. But what I want and what is reality are two completely different things. They don't want to be part of my life and I am not going to ask them to be part of my life. You are my family now. You and our daughter are the only two people that matter to me anymore."

"Maybe moving to Miami is a bad idea. It is bringing up all sorts of painful emotions for you. I don't want you to have to be in the same city with your parents," said Mark.

"What does it matter? They don't want to see me. Proximity never had anything to do with our distance. I want to move to Miami. It is a beautiful place and I loved living there. The warm weather will be amazing."

"Are you sure, Callie? You don't have to put on a brave face for me. We can go wherever you want to go. The choice is yours," said Mark.

Callie was amazed at how supportive Mark was being. But then she had been amazed at his support and love for months now. Mark had been the first face she saw when she woke up from her coma. She was thankful for that every day. As much as she didn't want to be near her parents she knew that Miami was right for their family. "I want to move to Miami, Mark. I even saw a couple of houses that I loved when I was looking at Tea's e-mail this afternoon."

Mark was a little relieved to hear that. He'd already reached out to a couple of colleagues in the area to see if anyone was looking for a plastic surgeon. "I saw a couple that I liked too in Coral Gables."

Callie laughed softly and said, "I should have known that you would go for the houses that were golf course adjacent. I don't have anything against it. I like playing golf. And it is a gated community which is nice for security."

"I will miss hitting balls on the roof with Derek, Richard, and Owen. It is sort of our time to go up there and talk about our lives."

"You mean complain about the women in your lives?" asked Callie. She gave him a knowing smile.

Mark smirked and said, "I never complain about you."

Callie laughed heartily. "Liar!"

Mark was glad to see a real smile on Callie's face. "Okay, maybe I complained when you sent me out to find Thai food in the middle of the night."

Callie laughed softly. "I am sorry. That is really awful. I have very strange cravings."

"We can blame it on the kid," said Mark.

Callie rested her hand on her stomach momentarily. "Do you hear that? Your daddy is already laying the blame on you."

Mark took Callie's hand. "I've put in a few calls and sent out a couple of e-mails inquiring about positions in the Miami-Dade area. I've already heard back from a couple of people recommending some positions that they know are open. Including a spot at a private practice."

"I didn't think you wanted to work in private practice, Mark."

"Well, normally I wouldn't want to work for a private practice. However, this particular practice is headed by a good guy that was actually an instructor of mine in medical school. And his practice does a lot pro bono surgeries. I think that it could be a good fit for me. My hours at a private practice wouldn't be as demanding as if I was working at a hospital," Mark explained.

Call shook her head. "Mark, I can't ask you to do that."

"You aren't asking me to do anything. This is my decision, Callie. I want to be there for you and our daughter. I don't want to miss out on everything because I am working 60 hours a week. I missed out on Sloane's entire childhood. I don't want to miss out on this because I'm working like a maniac," said Mark.

Callie flashed a bright smile. She leaned in and kissed Mark passionately. "When we get back to the villa I am going to show you just how much that turns me on," Callie whispered against his ear.

Mark smirked and said, "I can't wait."

"So, this is real. I mean we are really going to go through with this."

"You doubted it?" asked Mark.

"Well, I have to say that I thought you might change your mind once you calmed down. I mean when you suggested this it was after I'd had a miscarriage scare. I figured that you were just out of sorts," said Callie.

"I was scared but I also thought that making a move was the right decision for us. I still think that. Miami could be a brand new start for us. Our past sins won't be lurking the halls waiting to get the best of us."

"I have to admit it will be nice not having to look at Arizona. I know that me being with you has hurt her. And despite how our relationship ended I would never want to hurt her. She feels like I was hiding this big secret from her. Truth be told you knew me in a way that Arizona never did," said Callie.

"Well, we did get together fairly soon after she left for Africa. I still remember the night you asked to move in with me. I was happier than I initially let on. I knew that you were looking for a rebound but I went along with it anyway."

Callie frowned. "I was not looking for a rebound, Mark. I guess I wanted to feel loved after being rejected by Arizona. And there was one thing that I was very sure of…I knew that you loved me. I didn't know how deeply that you loved me, but I knew that you cared about me. I knew that you would take care of me. I felt safe with you."

He laughed heartily. "I don't believe I have ever heard a woman say that she felt safe with me. I don't think there has been another woman that was actually safe with me."

"You loved Lexie," said Callie.

"I did at one point. She was a sweet girl. But at the end of the day that was the problem. Lexie was a girl and she wasn't ready for the life that I wanted to live. I wanted to settle down. Once I realized that she wasn't ready for that I knew that I had to let her go. I didn't think she'd go crazy and crash our wedding. I did not see that coming."

Callie laughed. "I am surprised that there weren't more women objecting to our marriage. You have left quite a trail of broken women in your wake, Mark Sloan."

"Is it my fault that women are attracted to fire even if they know it burns?" asked Mark with a cocky grin.

"That is my husband…modest as always," said Callie. She laughed softly.

A waiter walked over to their table. "Would you like to see the dessert selections?"

Mark looked at Callie.

Callie shook her head. "Actually, we'd like the check."

"Right away, Ma'am," said the waiter. He walked back to the servers' station to retrieve their check.

Callie turned her attention to Mark. "I thought that we could just go home for dessert. To be honest my feet are killing me. I'd like to kick off these heels and rest."

Mark chuckled. "I don't know why you insisted on wearing heels to dinner tonight. You could have worn flats."

"The heels make my ass look great," said Callie.

Mark smirked. "Your ass always looks great."

The waiter came over with their bill.

Mark took out his wallet and left a tip on the table. He stood up and offered Callie his hand to help her stand. Mark walked to the cashier and paid their bill. "We'll order something from room service when we get back to the villa."

* * *

Later that night Callie laid in bed wearing a night gown. She yawned tiredly as she lazily checked her voicemails for the day. She had a couple from Cristina & Addison. But there was one message that made her blood run cold.

Mark walked out of the bathroom freshly showered and wearing a towel around his waist. He cocked his head to one side seeing the look on her face. "What's wrong?"

Callie sniffled trying to hold back tears. She opened her mouth to speak but realized that nothing was coming out. Callie dropped the cell phone from her hand and it fell to the floor.

Mark rushed over to Callie and sat next to her on the bed. He took her face in both of his hands. "Callie, what's wrong? Talk to me."

"Ar-ria called this evening and left a message," Callie finally managed to get out. Her cell phone had been off for the entire day while she and Mark went sight-seeing on the island.

"What did Aria have to say?" asked Mark. He stared into her glassy brown eyes.

"My dad had a heart attack. They don't know if he is going to make it. He had to have an emergency triple bypass," said Callie. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she hastily wiped them away. But despite her efforts they continued to fall from her dark brown eyes.

"When did she leave this message? Did she say what hospital he is in?" asked Mark.

"She left the message at 6:00 and she didn't say what hospital he was taken to. Aria just said that she would call me back when she knew more."

Mark said, "6:00 our time would translate to 11:00 Eastern Time. Why don't you call Aria back?"

Callie shook her head. She couldn't bring herself to make that call. She couldn't handle hearing that her father was dead. The fear and anxiety that was building up in Callie made her feel like she couldn't breathe. As much as she hated her father for disowning her Callie couldn't imagine him dying before she got to see him again.

Mark picked up the cell phone. "I'll call Aria."

He stood up from the bed and called Aria's cell phone. Mark paced the floor a bit. Every once in awhile he looked at Callie. His heart broke for her seeing tears silently slipping down her cheeks.

Callie felt sick to her stomach. She ran into the bathroom slamming the door behind her.

15 minutes later Callie emerged from the bathroom looking pale. She had stayed in the bathroom as long as she could. Callie didn't want to know the truth. She didn't want to hear the truth.

Mark was sitting on the bed and looked up seeing Callie looking at him. He didn't relish what he would have to tell his wife. This was not the way a honeymoon was supposed to go. However, Mark figured that considering their luck this was about par for the course. "Cal, I think you should sit down…"

Callie saw the look of pity on Mark's face. Her stomach twisted in knots and her breathing picked up as the anxiety set in. She shook her head and muttered, "No."

"Callie…" Mark started.

"No! I am not sitting down, Mark. Just tell me. Is he dead? Is my father dead?" asked Callie. Her hands were clenched at her sides in fear.

Mark stood up and walked over to Callie. He pulled her into a hug feeling her body tremble as she cried. "He is alive for now."

Callie took in a sharp breath. The phrase for now rattled around in her head. She was a doctor and she knew when someone was breaking bad news to a patient's family. "I can handle the truth, Mark. Just give it to me."

Mark caressed her back and said, "Callie, you're father is too weak to survive the bypass surgery. They called it off hours ago. They are going to do everything they can for him over the next 48 hours. If his condition has improved by then…they'll try to do the bypass. If not…" Mark trailed off. He didn't really know how to finish that statement.

Callie finished the statement for him by saying, "If not…they'll make him as comfortable as they can until the inevitable happens. Oh God…" Callie stumbled backward away from Mark. Her hand clasped her mouth to stifle the sob that slipped past her lips.

"I am going to look up flights and find one headed to Miami," said Mark.

Callie shook her head crying. "He doesn't want to see me, Mark. I am dead to him."

Mark walked closer to Callie and gently cupped her chin."Death has a way of making everything else seem trivial in comparison. Your father is an ass for disowning you, Callie. But I know that he loves you and he would want you there. And more importantly…you want to be there."

"But our honeymoon…"

Mark smiled and gently wiped away Callie's tears with his thumbs. "Somehow I don't imagine you being in the mood for frolicking in the sand. We have forever, Callie. We'll come back one day. And by then we will be able to bring our little girl with us."

Callie melted into Mark's arms and just sobbed.

Mark held her silently. He knew that nothing he said could soothe her. Mark knew that the odds of them making it to Miami before Carlos died were slim. But at least Callie would be there for her mother and sister.


	12. Chapter 12

Several days after receiving the call about Carlos' heart attack, Callie stood nervously outside of her father's room in the intensive care unit. She was too scared to enter the room and see him face to face. The view from the glass doors was disheartening enough. The once robust man was reduced to a pale figure lying lifelessly in a hospital bed. The machines beeped continuously and only added to the dreary feeling in the room.

It was easier for her mother and sister to be hopeful about his prognosis. They believed the doctors and nurses' encouraging words and empty anecdotes. However, as a surgeon Callie knew the truth after reading her father's medical file. She kept the truth to herself knowing it would only cause her mother and sister more pain. They needed to believe that her father would get better.

Carlos Torres was in dire need of a quadruple bypass but his body was too weak to survive such a rigorous procedure. He would most certainly die on the table when his blood pressure and respiration rate dropped while under anesthesia. Furthermore, the damage to his heart from the cardiac episode was significant. There were no guarantees that the bypass would save his life. If it were successful, it would be a short-term solution to the problem.

Her father drifted in and out of consciousness from day to day. Sometimes he could hold a conversation and sometimes he recited the Lord's Prayer. Aria and their mother might have been in denial about Carlos's fate but the man knew the end was near. He wanted to make sure he made peace with God before the time came. The family's priest had already visited and given Carlos last rites as a precaution. Watching that scene made the end seem all too real for Callie.

From the moment Callie arrived in Miami, she had been filled with anxiety and sorrow. She hated that her relationship with her family was so distant. Her father was dying and she had been unable to even speak to him in the last year.

Mark tried his best to remind Callie that the distance was her father's choice but it didn't make her feel any better. Carlos disowning her for being a lesbian hurt more than anything but he was still her father. There was a time when he absolutely adored her. She could still remember him confronting George at the hospital after learning of his infidelity. He would have done anything for his little girl except love her even when she came out of the closet.

His disdain for her was so great that even after she nearly died he refused to reach out to her. He didn't even tell his wife that their daughter nearly died.

Callie found it difficult to reconcile the two versions of her father: one version that loved her completely and one that despised her.

She rested her hand on her rounded stomach and sighed deeply. Eventually she would have to walk into the room again. She would have to play the role of the dutifully daughter despite how conflicted she felt. Callie put aside her hurt and pain to be here on his deathbed when he couldn't bother to do the same for her.

Her relationship with Lucia wasn't much better. Her mother felt guilty for not being there when Callie was in the hospital but she felt no regrets for disowning her daughter. She stood by Carlos's decision. Callie was unsure if that was genuine or brought on by his abrupt illness. When someone was ill, it was unconscionable to speak ill of them even if it was the truth.

Aria walked up behind Callie and said, "You know standing out here isn't doing him any good. You need to let him know that you are here. He was awake 30 minutes ago when I checked on him."

She smiled at her sister but shook her head.

"I don't want to stress him out. He needs to be relaxed. My presence would just make things more stressful. It is better if I stay out of sight. I'll go in once I know that he is asleep."

The medications the doctors were giving Carlos helped keep him stable but they also put him to sleep.

"He's stubborn but he loves you, Callie. You are his little girl and that has never changed. Even after he disowned you, I would catch him typing your name into Google or reading some medical journal to see what you were working on. He just found it hard to interact with you and stay true to his faith. It was a lot for you to ask and you know that."

Callie said, "I was raised Catholic just like you, Aria. I know that homosexuality is a sin but it is no bigger sin than lying or fornicating. Things of which you are just as guilty of doing. Moreover, where is the love and compassion preached by Jesus? I wasn't expecting papa to welcome Arizona into the family with open arms but I did expect for him to still love me."

"You caused all the troubles in our family for something that amounted to a phase. You're pregnant now and married to a man. You are living your life the way it should be lived."

"A phase, Aria? I wasn't going through a phase. I am bisexual. I am still attracted to women. That did not change just because I am married to Mark. I was always attracted to Mark. He's the one that told me I should figure out my sexuality and he was right! I am not sorry for figuring out what I want in life. It is my life and I get to live it!"

Lucia approached her daughters with a stern look in her face. She said, "This is not a conversation to have in front of your father's room. He doesn't need to be disturbed by that. This is not a conversation to be had in public at all."

She was more than a little concerned about people overhearing. Lucia had a reputation in the community as an active member of her church and as a successful lawyer. She wanted to maintain her reputation.

Callie put her hands up in surrender and said, "I am going to go back to the hotel. I told Mark that we would have lunch together and talk about houses. He met with the real estate agent this morning while I was still asleep. I'll come back to see papa later."

"Stop it. I mean that for both of you. Your father is fighting for his life in that room. I think that is all the fighting this family can stand right now. I know we hurt you, Calliope. I am sorry for that, but parents are human and we make mistakes. You will make mistakes with your own son or daughter."

Callie said, "Daughter…I'm having a girl."

Lucia smiled softly and said, "Carlos needs to hear that. He needs to know what he has to live for. Let him know how happy you are and how good of a life you have and that you need him to live. Don't hide from this, Calliope."

"I can't. I do not want to make things worse. He was so angry with me, Mama. I don't want to upset him. His heart can't take it."

"He asked for you last night in one of his longer moments of lucidity. Despite everything, he wants you here. We both want you here."

Callie looked at her mother for a moment and then said, "I won't stay long. I slept through lunch and I'm starving."

Lucia said, "I think he will understand that you need to feed our grandchild. Go on."

She walked into the room and walked over to Carlos's bed. Callie stood there unsure of what to say to him. It was easier when she only had to stand there quietly and watch him rest. She looked back toward the door and saw Lucia nod at her.

She took his hand and said, "Papa, I don't know if you can hear me but I'm here. I've been here for days I was just too scared to talk to you. I just want you to get better. We all need you. You've always been the leader of our family. You taught me how to be strong and independent."

Carlos's hand gripped hers firmly and she gasped in surprise. She quickly sat down in the chair at his bedside to be closer to his level.

"Can you hear me?" asked Callie.

He said, "Took you long enough to come in here."

Callie said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know what to say to you. I didn't want to make you upset. I love you so much."

She choked back tears as she uttered the words. No matter what happened, she wanted him to know that. This moment of consciousness seemed like the best time.

"I love you too, mi hija. I'm glad you're here," said Carlos, his voice was raspy but clear.

"How could I not? You are my father. Nothing could every change that. Did Mama tell you that I'm pregnant? I am going to have a little girl with my husband, Mark. You met him before. I don't think you liked him but he's a good man and a good doctor. He is going to be a good father, too."

He thought back to his conversation with Mark after Callie was shot during the robbery. The man had argued passionately for him to put aside his anger long enough to be there for his languishing daughter. Carlos had not been able to do that. He was too stubborn but he regretted the decision and he was just grateful that Callie survived.

Carlos grinned tiredly, "A girl? What is her name?"

Callie said, "I don't know. We don't really have a name yet. Mark and I have been looking at baby name books but we haven't like anything yet. Nothing seemed perfect enough for our baby girl. I just knew that she was going to be the most amazing person I have ever met."

"Sofia…"

Callie asked, "What?"

She wondered if her father had become confused. It wasn't out of the norm considering he was on pain medication.

Carlos said, "Her name should be Sofia."

Callie chuckled as she felt the baby kick.

She said, "She kicked. I think she likes that name. Sofia Sloan. I like the way that sounds. I think Mark will like that name, too."

"I've been thinking about the name Therese. I think it would be a good middle for her. I remember when you would tell me the story of St. Therese of Lisieux as a child. A woman so young but that made such an impact on the faith and the world."

He smiled, "The little flower…"

"Did Mama tell you that Mark and I are moving to Miami? I wanted to come back home. I miss the sunshine and the beach. I miss getting café cubano and a pastelito. I want my little girl to be born here. I'd really like it if she got the opportunity to get to know her grandparents. Mark doesn't have a good relationship with his father and his mother died. We need you to get better so you can watch this little girl grow up."

Carlos weakly pulled Callie's hand up to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against the skin.

"We both know that I'm not leaving this hospital. I would like nothing more than to see my granddaughter grow up but it cannot be but your mother will be here. Lucia will love Sofia enough for the both of us."

Callie broke down into sobs. She couldn't hold them back any longer. Hearing her father acknowledge the inevitable hurt more than she could bear. Callie laid her head against his hand and cried.

He weakly reached over with his other hand and lightly caressed her hair.

"Don't cry my sweet girl. There is no need for tears. I've lived a long life and it has been a good one. Knowing that you are happy and loved is enough for me. I don't need anymore."

"But I need you. I need you. I don't want you go. I don't want you to leave me here."

In that moment, Callie was transformed into a little girl. The pragmatism she brought to her career was nowhere to be found. She wanted a miracle. She wanted her father to live 100 more years. However, at this moment she would take just one more year. She wanted one year so that he would have the opportunity to meet his granddaughter.

Carlos said, "We don't get to choose our time to die. We only get to choose how we live. I want you to live well and don't make the mistakes with Sofia that I have made with you."


	13. Chapter 13

Three days later Callie slept comfortably in the hotel bed snuggled into Mark's side when she heard her cell phone ring. She was jolted out of her sleep and immediately a sense of dread overwhelmed her. The last few days had been hard but rewarding. She spent as much time at Carlos's bedside as was allowed by hospital policy. His moments of lucidity were fewer and farther in between but she relished them.

Mark sat up and turned on the lamp. He looked at Callie's terrified face and felt his heart break a little for her. He didn't have a close relationship with his parents but it still hurt when he lost his mother. He couldn't imagine the pain Callie would feel when Carlos died.

"Do you want me to answer it?" asked Mark, his voice was rough from sleep.

Callie shook her head and picked up the phone just as it stopped ringing. Looking at the screen, she could see that the missed call was from her mother. She could think of only one reason Lucia would call her in the middle of the night.

She called her mother back and waited for her to answer.

"Hello," said Lucia, her voice cracked as she choked back a sob.

"Mama…"

"The hospital called and said that if we want to say goodbye to Carlos then we need to get there now. He doesn't have much longer. I've already called Aria and she's going to meet us there."

"Mark and I will be there soon. I promise," said Callie, she cried softly unable to stop it even for her mother's benefit.

Mark got out of the bed and started pulling on his clothes. He kept them draped over the back of the desk chair for just this occasion. He didn't know if Carlos was dead or close to it but he did know they would be going to the hospital.

"I'm already in the car. I'll see you both there," said Lucia.

Callie ended the call and got out of the bed. She didn't bother putting on different clothes. She was wearing pajama pants and a tank top. Callie just needed to put on a jacket and a pair of shoes. She put on her jacket but wandered around the room aimlessly looking for shoes. It was as if her brain checked out.

After getting dressed, Mark grabbed his keys from the nightstand and asked, "What's going on?"

"The doctors said that he doesn't have very long. He is dying. My mother and Aria are going to meet us at the hospital. We need to go now, Mark. Why can't I find my shoes?"

He grabbed a pair of flip-flops and put them in front of Callie's feet.

"Put those on and let's get out of here, Cal."

Callie quickly slid her feet into the shoes and followed Mark out of their hotel room. Her chest was so tight that it felt like she might have a panic attack. She took deep breaths to calm down. Passing out at a time like this was the last thing that she needed.

The couple quickly made their way out of the hotel and into their rental car. Mark barely waited until Callie was wearing her seatbelt before whipping out of the parking space and speeding out of the parking lot.

The drive to the hospital was eerily silent, as neither of them knew what to say. Mark tried to think of something to comfort his new wife but could come up with nothing. Instead, he reached over and rested a comforting had on her knee. He just wanted Callie to know that he was there.

Mark sped through the relatively empty streets of Miami. It was just after 3 AM on a Wednesday night. Even the heartiest of club goers were safely ensconced in their homes or late night eateries. The hospital was only five minutes away but he knew that was like an eternity when trying to reach an ailing loved one.

Many times in his career, he witnessed family members break down in tears when they arrived at the hospital a minute too late. Sometimes it really was just a minute that made the difference. He didn't want to be the reason why Callie missed out on saying goodbye to her father for the last time. The father and daughter had made up just days earlier when he suggested the name Sofia for his unborn granddaughter. He had no idea how Callie would cope with such a loss.

Before he could give, it much more thought they arrived at the hospital and he pulled up to the main entrance.

"You go ahead. I'll park the car and meet you upstairs in the ICU."

Callie kissed his cheek and said, "Thank you, Mark."

She quickly exited the car and ran into the hospital. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute as she frantically pressed the button for the elevator. She pushed the up and down buttons, hoping it would make the car come faster.

"Come on! Come on!" demanded Callie, as she moved on to the other set of elevators and pushed those buttons as well.

She heard the automated hospital doors open and looked behind her to see Aria running toward the elevator bank.

Aria asked, "Do you know if Mama is already here? She must have left out before the two of us."

Callie said, "I don't know. I don't think so. She was in the car when she called me but you know how far the house is from here. It is at least a 15 minute drive."

"I told her that she should have just got a hotel room closer to the hospital like I did. I live too far away to even think about getting here in a timely fashion. At least she doesn't have to contend with traffic or it would be longer than 15 minutes."

"I know, Aria. I told her the same thing. She said she didn't want to waste money on a hotel room."

Aria rolled her eyes, "She can more than afford a hotel room. She's just being stubborn."

"Mark and I offered to pay for a room at our hotel but she wasn't having any of it. I think she just wanted to go home and have a normal night instead of being in a strange place that doesn't remind her of papa."

The elevator chimed and the doors opened.

Callie huffed, "Finally, if the ICU wasn't on the 8th floor I would have just taken the stairs."

Aria followed her sister into the elevator pressed the button for the eighth floor. Like her sister, she was still wearing pajamas and her face was bare of make. Her eyes were puffy from crying and perhaps a little insomnia.

When the elevator reached the ICU, the two women rushed toward Carlos's room only to be greeted by the doctor. The man looked solemn and pensive.

"Is your mother with you?"

Callie shook her head and said, "No, she is still driving over here. How is my father?"

"I'm Dr. Jones. Your father's heart rate is slowing down. He and your mother have decided on a DNR. If his heart stops we won't try to resuscitate him."

Aria clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob.

Callie said, "We want to see him while we still have time."

She walked around the man and went into the room. Her eyes went straight to the monitors to evaluate the situation for herself. His O2 saturation was right at 63% and his heart was fluctuating between 25 and 30. Sometime in the last couple of days, the medical team had decided to put an oxygen mask on him but it still was not enough. They wanted to intubate Carlos but Lucia declined knowing that he would not want that.

Tears welled up in Callie's eyes but she didn't have the heart to approach the bed. She stood off to the side and tried to rationalize the situation or detach. She needed to be a doctor to get through the heartache of this moment. She couldn't watch him die as his daughter it would hurt too much.

Mark walked into the room and was glad to see that Carlos was still alive. However, out of habit his eyes drifted to the machines and saw that his vitals were steadily declining. It would not be long until Carlos's heart stopped beating altogether.

He put an arm around Callie's waist knowing how much she had to be suffering in the moment.

Aria looked over her shoulder and sniffled, "Callie, you need to come and say goodbye. Okay? Don't do this because you'll regret it."

Callie shook her head, "I can't say goodbye. I'm not ready."

She turned and buried her face in Mark's chest as she began to cry harder.

He rubbed her back and whispered, "I know you aren't ready to say goodbye, Cal, but your dad is dying either way. You have a chance a lot of people don't get. You get to say goodbye and I think it is an opportunity you should take."

Callie blew out a couple of hard breaths and made her way over to Carlos's bed. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

"I love you so much, Papa. I prayed for you to get better even though I knew you would not. I know that you have go now but I want you to know that I am going to miss you so much."

Aria sobbed quietly and put an arm around Callie.

"I'm going to miss you, too. You have been such a big part of my life for as long as I could remember. I'm not your daughter biologically but you never made me feel out of place in your life. I have always felt like I was your daughter, too. You gave me your last name and that means something. I love you…"

A nurse came in the room and turned off the alerts on the machines. They would watch his vitals from the nurses' station but they did not want the alarms to disturb the family's last moments with the patient.

As the nurse was exiting the room, Lucia Torres rushed in looking frazzled and sleep deprived. She joined her daughters at Carlos's bedside. Lucia had blown a few red lights to get to the hospital in time. The whole way there, she regretted not staying closer to the hospital like Aria and Calliope.

"Girls, I need a few minutes alone with your father. I promise it won't take long."

They both nodded and left the room with Mark following behind them. They understood that Lucia needed privacy to say goodbye to her husband.

Outside of the room, Mark took Callie into his arms and just stood in silence with her.

Aria paced up and down the corridor waiting for the opportunity to get back into the room with Carlos and Lucia. She didn't want her mother to have to face this on her own.

Mark discreetly kept an eye on the monitors in the room. He wanted to be able to warn Callie and Aria when Carlos's vitals dropped below the point of no return.

However, moments later Lucia looked toward the door and beckoned them back into the room.

Mark whispered into Callie's ear, "We can go back in now, Cal."

Callie pried herself away from Mark's chest and followed Aria back into the room.

The family stood vigil around Carlos's bed for 10 minutes before his heart stopped beating.

Callie looked at the monitor and then at Mark. He nodded sadly and rubbed her shoulder.

She said, "Mama, he's gone…"

"What?"

Lucia looked up at Callie's face and then looked over at the monitor and saw that his heart rate was now zero.

The doctor and nurse walked into the room. The nurse turned off the monitor and the doctor excused himself as he manually checked Carlos's pulse and then listened to his chest with a stethoscope. He checked the man's pupils for responsiveness to light.

Dr. Jones said, "I'm calling it…3:38 AM."

The nurses nodded and a noted the time in the chart.

Dr. Jones said, "I am so sorry for your loss. I know that this is a very difficult time for your family. Please take as much time as you need. If you need anything just call the nurses' station. Dr. Channing isn't on call tonight but I will be sure to brief him about your husband. He will be available to you if you have any questions or concerns."

Lucia nodded, "Thank you…"

The doctor and nurse exited the room and left the family to mourn in private.


	14. Chapter 14

Callie stood in front of her childhood with a wistful look in her eyes. It had been such a long time since she last visited Miami. It was just another regret on an increasingly long list. She struggled to find strength in the peace her father exuded at the end of his life but she couldn't. Callie didn't know if she lacked faith or heart but peace eluded her at every turn.

Her heart was broken not just because her father was dead but because the last year or so of his life she didn't even speak to him. Callie knew the disintegration of their relationship was not solely her fault. However, she could have tried harder to make inroads with him. Callie was just stubborn and immovable as Carlos at times.

She didn't regret her relationship with Arizona. Her sexuality was part of who she was and it was something she would never deny. She only wished that her father could understand that before he died. The thing that hurt the most was knowing that Carlos died without truly knowing his daughter and the woman she had become.

Callie was supposed to be inside with Aria and Lucia planning Carlos's funeral but she needed a break from the depressing environment. She feared the sadness and grief would swallow her whole. This loss was unlike anything she had ever felt. She grieved when George was killed but this was something different. The pain was suffocating and all-consuming this time around.

The front door opened and out walked Mark. He had spent the majority of the day staying out of the way. His input wasn't really needed and Lucia wasn't very fond of him. At times, the level of disdain in the room was palpable. Mark was unsure about what the woman could possibly have against him. In most circles, he would be considered a catch.

He asked, "How are you doing?"

Callie shrugged and said, "About the same. I'm sad."

He nodded, "You'll be sad for a while, but you'll heal."

"You can't possibly know that, Mark."

He smiled, "I had a psych rotation just like you. You will grieve but you will heal. You know the five stages of grief."

"Does the pain ever go away? Those stages are loose and you can repeat them. He was the first thing I thought about this morning. He was the last thing I thought about before I fell asleep last night. Do you just walk around for the rest of your life with this gaping hole in your heart where that person used to be?"

She sighed as the tears welled up in her eyes again. In the last day or so, she had cried so much she doubted there were any tears left to shed.

Mark took Callie's hand and said, "The pain will lessen with time and there will be a moment when you think about Carlos and it doesn't hurt anymore. You will miss him but that aching pain you feel right now will be gone."

Callie asked, "Is that more of your psych rotation?"

"No, that is personal experience. You know I didn't have a good relationship with my mother. For the majority of my life she could not be bothered to be a mother to me. I spent years accepting that fact and going on with my life, but when she died it still hurt. The depth of the pain I felt surprised me. I thought her death wouldn't matter because we didn't have a relationship. I was wrong. Relationship or estrangement does not dictate how you will cope with a loss. My advice is to allow yourself to feel the loss. Grieve for your father as hard as you would like but never forget all of the good things you have in your life. We're going to have a family together, you have me, and when you are up to it you will have a great career again."

It was rare for Mark to delve so deep into emotions but in this situation, it seemed warranted. His desire to comfort Callie was stronger than his need for distance from the things that caused him pain. Outsiders would wager that Mark had few if any genuine emotions. There were still people that doubted the sincerity of his feelings for Callie. Only the people close to him knew the love and sensitivity he was capable of showing. It was a small but trusted group of people and Mark liked it that way. Carolyn Shepherd always accused Mark of hiding his true personality for fear of being vulnerable. He found that he had no such fears with Callie.

He reached out and tenderly rubbed Callie's rounded stomach and smiled. Their daughter would be one of the few people that knew the full force of his love. Mark was determined never to cause Sofia the type of pain he and Callie felt from their own parents.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Callie's voice.

"What?" he asked.

Callie's dark eyes focused on his face and she asked, "Where did you go just now? I was talking but you didn't hear a word I said."

Mark apologized, "I'm sorry, Cal. I guess I started thinking about Sofia and I got a little distracted."

Her mood brightened hearing Mark talk about Sofia.

"I'm so glad that she has a name now. Sofia Therese Sloan is going to be the most perfect little girl in the world. I wonder which one of us she will look like."

He smiled, "I think she will probably look like you. I have seen some of those baby pictures Lucia has displayed in the house. You were a seriously adorable baby."

Callie said, "I think you and I have to be the two dumbest people in the world. We didn't realize that we should be together but we were completely ready to raise Sloan's baby together, for most people that would have been a hint."

Mark laughed at Callie. He couldn't disagree with her. There were so many instances where any sane individual would have realized that they were supposed to be together. Whenever their relationships fell apart, they always went back to one another.

"Well, you and I have never liked doing things the easy way. I still think about him. I wonder how he is growing up. His birthday was last month."

"I know. I thought about saying something but I worried that you would be sad if I reminded you."

Mark smiled wryly, "I remembered. I don't think it is a day I will ever forget. I understand why Sloan wanted to give him up for adoption. I also understand that the two of us trying to raise him together while in relationships with other people was bordering on the insane."

Callie said, "The world is a different place than it was decades ago. When that little boy becomes a man, he will look for his biological family. You didn't say goodbye to him that day, Mark. It was just see you later. The good news is you still have Sloan in your life. You don't see her as much as you would like but you two talk and that's important."

Mark said, "I'm supposed to be cheering you up. Somehow the roles got reversed."

She laughed softly, "Well, we've always been there for one another. Honestly, I feel a little better than I did when I first came outside. The mood in the house is suffocating. The plans for the funeral feel like they are getting out of control. We had less stress planning our wedding."

"You do have a rather large extended family, Cal. It was inevitable that the details would get a little overwhelming. Do you want to call it quits for the day? We have been here for about six hours. I don't think anyone would blame you if you decided to go back to the hotel to rest."

Callie considered Mark's suggestion. It would not be a lie to say that she was exhausted. She didn't sleep well the previous night and the pregnancy was already causing her to be lethargic. However, she would feel guilty for abandoning Lucia and Aria in their time of need. The steady stream of phone calls and unannounced visitors only added to their stress.

"No, I think I should stay here for a little longer. I still need to help them get the wording right for the funeral program. It is harder expanding it from the little paragraph he published in the paper. In this one, we have to provide like a little history of his life. It has to be delivered to the printer by 5:00 this evening if we want it in time for his funeral."

Mark slung an arm around her shoulders, "You'll get through it, and I will be here with you the entire time. Do you need anything? Any pregnancy cravings or grief cravings I can help you with?"

There wasn't much else that he could do. He understood his assistance with planning the funeral was not wanted or needed.

She laughed, "What is a grief craving?"

"I don't know. I figured you could use it as an excuse to eat something unhealthy but that tastes good."

"Well, I could go for a burger from Five Guys."

Mark chuckled, "What kind of burger from Five Guys?"

"I want a bacon cheeseburger with mayo, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, and jalapeno peppers. Oh, and get an extra patty on it."

He laughed harder and said, "I am going to need to write that down. There is no way I am going to remember all of that."

She made a face and said, "It isn't that much! I just like a lot of awesome toppings on my burger. Oh and I want a ton of fries."

"I will go and get lunch for you. We should ask your mother and your sister if they are hungry. I don't think I've seen either of them eat anything since we've been here today."

Callie nodded, "That would be the polite thing to do."

Mark and Callie walked back into the house and headed into the living room where Lucia and Aria were pouring over the list of invited guests. It was becoming an ordeal to ensure everyone was notified of Carlos's death.

Mark said, "Excuse me, ladies. I am going to pick up lunch for Callie. Would you like for me to pick up something for the two of you as well."

Lucia shook her head and waved him off, "I don't have the time to eat."

Aria frowned and said, "Mama you need to eat something. You haven't eaten breakfast and you barely touched your dinner last night."

Callie looked just as disapproving as her sister, "You should listen to Aria. You need to eat something or you will just end up making yourself sick, Mama."

Lucia sighed, "Where are you going to get lunch? I want something light like a salad."

Mark said, "I don't mind stopping at more than one place. Just jot down what you would like and I will pick it up."

Aria said, "Thank you, Mark."

She picked up a pen and quickly scribbled down two lunch orders and directions to the restaurant.

Lucia said, "Let me find my purse, and I will give you money."

Mark said, "Mrs. Torres I can pay for lunch."

Lucia went to object but Callie said, "Mama, we're both doctors. I am pretty sure we can afford to buy you and Aria lunch without breaking the bank."

Mark kissed Callie softly and said, "You should write down what you want so that I don't forget."

She took the pen and paper, quickly wrote down her order, and handed it over to Mark.

He said, "Well, I will be back shortly, ladies."

Callie had a seat on the couch as she watched Mark walk out the door.

Lucia heard the phone ring and sighed as she looked at the caller ID.

"It is Aunt Pilar. I am going to take this in the bedroom. She never has her hearing aid turned up loud enough to hear me when I speak."

After Lucia left the room, Aria looked at Callie.

"How long have you and Mark been married?" asked Aria.

She felt strange having to ask her sister such a generic question. However, she had not been keeping in touch with Callie. The battle lines were drawn and she chose their parents over her sister.

Callie said, "Just over a week. We were on our honeymoon in Hawaii when I got the call about Papa. We've been together off and on for a long time but we got serious after I almost died."

Aria sighed, "I didn't know about what happened to you, Callie. Papa never said a word to me about it. If I would have know…I would have been there for you. I've been meaning to say that I'm sorry for how everything turned out."

"It is okay, Aria. You were in a tough situation. If you would have stood up to Papa and continued talking to me, he might have disowned you, too. As lonely as it was I wouldn't have wanted you to be in the same boat with me. I had friends and I had Mark. Turns out life goes on. When I was in that coma, he was at my bedside every day. Our friends had to convince him to leave long enough even to change clothes. He changed his entire life around for me when it was time for me to be released from the hospital."

Aria asked, "How long were you in the hospital?"

"I was in a coma for three days and I stayed at the hospital just shy of a month. I left the hospital in a wheelchair and we didn't know if I'd be able to walk again. I had to work so hard to fight back just to get where I am now."

Aria just shook her head. She couldn't believe that Callie had been in a coma and unable to walk for a time.

"Mark was there with you through all of that?" asked Aria.

Callie nodded, "He never left my side. I am lucky. I could have died in that gas station or in the hospital while I battled an infection but I didn't. Instead I'm married to my best friend and we're going to have a baby."

Aria hugged Callie and said, "I'm glad that you're happy. I don't want to lose touch again."

"We won't lose touch, Aria. Mark and I are serious about moving to Miami. It isn't a permanent move but we will definitely be here until after the baby is born and probably longer than that. He has a job offer here and he accepted it. Once the funeral is over, we will start house hunting in earnest. Staying in a hotel isn't all it is cracked up to be."

"You could always ask Mama if you and Mark can stay here while you look for a house. There is plenty of room and I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Callie laughed, "You saw the way she looked at Mark when he asked about lunch. I don't know why she doesn't like him but it doesn't really matter to me. We'll be fine at the hotel until we find something we like."


	15. Chapter 15

Mark looked up from his laptop when he heard the bathroom door open. He smiled seeing Callie dressed in one of his Yankee t-shirts and a pair of shorts. She looked more relaxed than she had all day.

"Did you have a good shower?"

Callie climbed into the bed and sighed happily, "It was just what the doctor ordered. How long was I in there?"

Mark glanced at the clock and said, "You were in the shower for about thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes? That is the benefit of staying in a hotel. My shower was piping hot from start to finish and I feel amazing. Did you look at the listings Gabriella e-mailed you?"

"I have looked at all of them. I bookmarked the ones that I thought were the best. If you like the houses then we schedule a time to tour them with Gabriella."

Callie rested her head on Mark's shoulder and said, "Well, show me what you liked. I don't want to spend the next couple of months living in a hotel while we look at dozens of houses. Aria actually suggested asking Mama if we can stay with her but…"

He chuckled, "Your mother does not like me. She kept giving me the evil eye all day. I don't even know why she doesn't like me. Does she know of my reputation as a manwhore?"

Mark pulled up a couple of the houses in different tabs and let Callie look at their best options.

She laughed, "That's doubtful. It isn't as if my mother knows anyone in Seattle other than me. Although, my father did know that I had an affair with you. She would probably hate you if he told her that."

"Well, that explains the dirty looks. I ruined your marriage to George."

"No, you didn't. If I had listened to you, I would have never married him. He was a sweet man but he wasn't ready to be married to anyone. His cheating on me was more a function of unhappiness rather than malice."

Mark said, "He wasn't good enough for you."

"Stop it. If we hold grudges against exes I will have to hate half the nurses at the hospital and a large segment of the population on the East Coast."

He tickled her side and said, "Very funny. I wasn't joking. He was a kid and he wasn't ready to be your husband. He shouldn't have married you. Sometimes I think about the time we both wasted."

"I don't think it was wasted time. I like that we both had other relationships and we still managed to get back together. We both needed to figure some things out about ourselves before we could have a good relationship. I needed to figure out my attraction to women. My upbringing had me so repressed that I had no idea what was going on with me. You needed time to get over Addison. We couldn't have been married with that ghost haunting our relationship. You loved her."

Mark nodded, "I did love her. I just didn't do a very good job of showing it. For some reason I thought that love and sex could be mutually exclusive."

"They can be mutually exclusive but not when you are in a committed relationship. Well, that is unless you are swingers then I think that would be okay."

As a rule, Mark tried not to think of his failed relationship with Addison. He didn't like thinking about the pain they caused each other. However, in quiet moments he still thought about their child that never was and it made him that much more grateful for Sofia.

Mark smirked, "Swingers…."

She laughed, "Don't even think about it. I don't want to swap partners with anyone. I am too jealous for that. Remember you married a woman with a temper and an extensive knowledge of the bones in the human body. I will Misery you without even having to tie you to a bed."

"Since when is the movie Misery a verb?"

"Would you prefer Fatal Attraction? I will boil your bunny."

Mark laughed harder and just shook his head.

"You are hot tempered and a little crazy. I happen to like that," said Mark, he winked at her.

"Oh, I know that you like them a little crazy. I still have a knot on the back of my head where your nutty ex-girlfriend gave me a concussion."

Mark shook his head. Their wedding day was a day he would like to forget altogether. It definitely wasn't a memory he would want to share with Sofia when she grew up.

"In my defense I didn't realize she was unstable beforehand."

Callie laughed, "She was not unstable. She was hurt that you were getting married. I can't say that I blame her. I was jealous when I realized you were getting serious about Little Grey."

"Why? You were already with Arizona at that point," said Mark.

She shrugged, "I wasn't sure that I would ever want to be with a man again but I was pretty sure that if it was going to be any man it was going to be you."

Mark placed a kiss on her forehead and said, "You should be looking at houses."

Callie smiled at him and then focused her attention on the laptop. She took her time looking at each of the houses and tried to estimate the distance between them and Mark's job. She quickly realized that Mark must have advised the real estate agent only to send them properties that were one story.

Callie was able to walk without assistance but she still did physical rehab at home every day. Having a home with stairs and a new baby was a recipe for disaster. She was grateful that Mark was aware of her limitations but it still made her feel less than. She wanted to be completely normal again.

"I like these two houses the best. They are in the closest proximity to your job and they have everything that I could want in a house. Besides, I like that they aren't too big because I have no interest in trying to maintain a huge house with a newborn baby."

Mark said, "I wouldn't expect you to clean the house anyway, Cal. I think that we should hire a maid."

Callie looked at him skeptically. Almost immediately, she felt guilt for the silent accusation. Callie had no reason to doubt his fidelity to her but almost immediately she had.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"You didn't say anything," Mark countered, but he knew what that look meant.

"I know that I didn't say anything but we both know what I was thinking. It is a crummy thing to think considering how wonderful you have been to me," said Callie.

He said, "Don't go raking yourself over the coals, Cal. Your first marriage ended in divorce because your husband cheated on you and I should probably have a sexual position named after me. I wasn't suggesting we hire some nubile 20 something. I was thinking that we might hire an older woman or even a man."

She sighed, "Don't make excuses for me. It was a low blow no matter how you to try to sugarcoat it."

Mark kissed her softly, "I am not making excuses I am telling the truth. In any case, you might be attracted to a nubile maid in her twenties. I might just be protecting myself. We will find the oldest, most haggard, grandmother we can find to handle the upkeep of the house."

"Gray hair and moles on her face?" asked Callie, she looked up at him with innocent eyes.

He laughed, "She will be so ugly it'll be like she's wearing a witch costume year round."

Callie leaned up and kissed him deeply. Afterward she smiled at him.

"You are the best husband ever, Mark Sloan."

Mark smiled smugly. He was very pleased with himself at the moment.

"I know…"

Callie lightly whacked his arm and chuckled, "No one likes a braggart."

Mark rubbed her back and said, "You like that I am cocky. There is no need to deny it."

She just smiled and continued to flip through the pictures of the houses. Callie did like that Mark was cocky. His attitude helped raise her spirits when she felt less than confident.

"I can't believe that we still have to fly all the way back to Seattle to pack everything up. It seems like such a hassle now that we are already here in Miami. Nothing has really gone to plan since we got married."

Mark said, "I was thinking about that. I don't see why we can't just hire a moving company to go in and pack up everything. Derek and Cristina both have spare keys to the house. I am sure neither would object to standing around and watching someone else does the packing."

"Oh, you're not just a pretty face, Sloan! I think that is a great idea. I think you should ask Derek first. Cristina will do it but she will be such a taskmaster the movers will probably want to charge us extra."

Mark laughed and said, "I don't think that Derek will have any problem with doing that. I'll give him a call tomorrow to ask."

Callie asked, "Do you have a dark suit for my father's funeral? If not you are going to need to buy something. I already know that I will have to buy something to wear. I don't have anything black."

"I need to drop the suit off at the dry cleaners but I do have something. Do you want me to go shopping with you?"

"No, Aria offered to take me. It will be nice to spend some time alone with her. We haven't really had very much time to talk while I've been here. We had maybe 15 minutes alone this afternoon while you picked up lunch."

Mark nodded, "I am glad that you are getting along with Aria. The two of you seemed tense around one another at the hospital."

He couldn't help but notice that distance whenever the sisters spoke. It was as if they were holding back something that might hurt the other. He wasn't sure how long that dance could last.

Callie shrugged, "I think both of us have mixed feelings about the circumstances surrounding me being disowned. She feels like I provoked it and I guess in the strictest of terms I did. I knew it was a possibility that my parents would flip out and I had the choice to stay in the closet. I didn't want to live my life that way and there were consequences for that choice. At the same time, she could have stayed in touch without flaunting it in our parents' faces. I was not asking her to stand up against them. It was all a mess. She feels guilty for not being there when I was in the hospital but no guilt about cutting ties with me. The sad part is that my father is the one that instigated this situation and we are all left here to clean up the pieces and try to figure out a way to make a relationship work."

He still didn't like to think about the time Callie spent in a coma. Without a doubt those three days were the worst of his entire life. The uncertainty of her fate was almost too much for him to bear at the time. However, he did vividly remember speaking to Carlos Torres while his daughter lay comatose. He called after Chief Webber's attempt had been unsuccessful. Mark couldn't believe that the man was unwilling to set aside his anger or disappointment when he daughter was barely clinging to life. He realized then that the only people that cared about her survival worked at that hospital.

Mark said, "That is easier said than done. At the end of the day, you are going to have to be willing to forgive and move on. I do not think your mother and your sister are ever going to be genuinely sorry about cutting you off. They still think homosexuality is wrong."

"I get that. I just don't understand how you just stop talking to someone you claim to love. I keep trying to wrap my brain around that and it just isn't working. I guess I just always believed that the love from family should be unconditional."

"It rarely is unconditional. Derek's mother comes pretty close to showing unconditional love."

Callie smiled said, "You obviously have a lot of respect for her."

She didn't know Carolyn Shepherd very well but the few times they had met reinforced why the woman had such a profound effect on Mark. He was almost transformed into a little boy right in front of her very eyes whenever Mrs. Shepherd visited.

Mark said, "Mrs. Shepherd is the closest I ever came to having a actual mother. You could say that she raised me from the first time she encouraged Derek to bring me home with him. She always knows when I am up to something terrible and still manages to find a way to love me regardless. You remind me a lot of her."

Callie raised an eyebrow at that comment.

"I remind you of the maternal figure in your life? That's a new level of perversion even for you, Sloan!"

He laughed heartily, "That is not what I meant! You know that isn't what I meant! No matter what I have done or said, you have never given up on being my friend. You've always been there."

"Mark, I have always known that you were a good person."

"There were times when you were the only one that believed that to be true."

Callie said, "Maybe you just didn't show other people how good you could be and that's okay with me. I like knowing you in a way that other people cannot even comprehend. No one was ever going to love me the way you did. I just didn't see that at the time."

Mark said, "If you keep talking like that we are going to have to get naked."

She laughed and asked, "In what world is that a threat? Ditch the laptop and get naked, Sloan."

Callie reached over her head and pulled off the t-shirt. She tossed it onto the bottom of the bed and easily shimmied out of the loose fitting shorts.

Mark grinned excitedly and said, "Well, technically it is still our honeymoon."

"I owe you like five days worth of sex. We should get started on that."

He closed the laptop, put it on the floor, and stripped off his boxers.

Mark kissed Callie and lifted her body on top of him so that she was straddling him.

Callie gave him a questioning look about their position. She had not been on top since being shot. Callie was self-conscious about her coordination or possibly lack thereof.

He winked and said, "Because I'm such a good guy…I think this should be my reward."

She said, "Fine but if I hear one critique…"

He leaned up and kissed her. He pulled back to look into her eyes, "Never. I know you, Callie. I know what makes you tick. I know what scares you. I can hear your doubts before you ever say a word. Trust me you'll be fine and we'll both enjoy it."


	16. Chapter 16

Callie laughed heartily as she walked into an upscale restaurant with her sister. The two women were taking a much-needed break from a morning of shopping. It was supposed to be a shopping trip to find a suitable dress for Carlos's funeral. However, Aria and Callie could not resist stopping off at a baby boutique.

The host said, "Welcome to the Seaside Café. Do you have a reservation with us?"

Aria said, "No, we were hoping that we could sort of just squeeze in. We know it is the lunch rush. We're willing to wait for a table."

"Would you like to be seated indoors or out on the veranda?"

Callie looked at Aria and said, "We'd love a table outside. That view is simply amazing but we'll take anything this time of day."

"You are in luck. The lunch rush hasn't started yet. How many in your party?"

Callie said, "Just the two of us."

The host consulted the chart and picked up two menus.

She said, "We have a table ready for you. Right this way please."

She led them through the restaurant and out to the veranda

Aria had a seat at a table and said, "You went absolutely insane in that store. I think you bought clothes, blankets, soft toys, and rattles. You would have ordered that crib if I hadn't reminded you that there was nowhere to have it shipped. What are you going to tell Mark about all of those bags?"

"I am not going to tell him anything. I can spend as much money as I would like on our little Sofia. She deserves the very best. Mark would no doubt agree with me."

She got settled at the table, took out her phone, and fired off a quick text message to Mark.

The host handed the two women menus and smiled pleasantly, "Your server will be with you shortly."

Aria said, "I was just saying that you haven't worked in months. That was a lot of money to spend on a whim, Callie. Do you need any money? I guess that is what I was trying to ask without being terribly obvious. I am not good at being subtle. I'm sorry."

The smile fell away from Callie's lips as she considered what Aria was saying. Previously, it had not occurred to her to think about money. Mark never talked about their financial situation and he made more than enough to provide for their needs. Their situation would only improve once he was working at a private practice. His rise in pay would be substantial. However, she still would not have anything to contribute and worse yet it took her sister asking her to even think about it.

"I have savings and I'm not destitute, Aria. Mark has never distinguished between my money and his money. I don't think he will start now that we're married and having a baby. Where is this coming from? It doesn't sound like a question that you would ever ask me. Did Mama put you up to this?"

Aria said, "You already know the answer to that question. She wants to know that you and the baby will be taken care of if Mark decides to take off. You haven't exactly had good luck with relationships."

Callie felt her blood pressure begin to rise. The dig on her relationship track record didn't faze her. She was angry about her mother's assumption that Mark would just abandon his child. The accusation was a blatant slap in the face to a man that Lucia knew absolutely nothing about.

The server arrived at the table and said, "Welcome to Seaside Café. My name is Olivia and I will be your server this afternoon. Can I start the two of you off with something to drink?"

Aria asked, "Is it too late for a mimosa?"

"No, you can order a mimosa at any time. And for you miss?"

Callie said, "I'll have a glass of water and a glass of lemonade."

The server jotted down their drink orders and said, "I'll be back in a minute with your drinks."

Aria said, "I wasn't meaning to make you angry, Callie. I can see the fire in your eyes. I was just hoping to spare you and Mama a huge fight. It is the last thing that either you need right now. I know it is a sorry question to ask but it is with the best of intentions. She's ready to write you a big fat check."

"Mark isn't going to just take off and leave his child. He is not that type of man, Aria. He loves this baby more than you could ever know or understand. You don't know what this baby means to the both of us. I was in a coma and he thought I would die. When I came out of the coma, I couldn't even transfer myself from my wheelchair into my damn bed. Mark was the only one there to help me. That man changed his entire life around for me and it was because he loves me. He had to help me bathe and get dressed every day. No one in this family gets to question his commitment or devotion to me. Not when all of you turned your backs on me. I don't need any money and if I did I certainly wouldn't take it from our mother."

"I don't want a fight, Callie. I do not doubt Mark's love for you. Please don't kill the messenger."

The server returned with their drinks and asked, "Are you ready to order?"

Aria said, "I'd like another drink. I want a rum and coke on the rocks."

"And to eat?"

"I'll have the Yellowfin tuna and a green salad," Aria answered.

Callie said, "I think I've gone off eating completely."

Aria sighed, "Callie, don't be that way. You need to eat for Sofia even if you are ticked off with Mama."

"I'll have the pappardelle bolognese and a green salad."

She smiled, "Your orders will be ready soon."

Callie drummed her nails against the table with a sigh.

Aria said, "You are going to ruin your manicure. Callie, we have to find a way to live with the decisions we've all made. There can't be a dust up every time we say something you don't like."

"You tell me how I'm supposed to just forgive and forget, Aria. I had not spoken to any of you until I called Mama to say I would be moving to Miami. I nearly lost my life and I didn't have anyone but Mark. I will not stand for Mama making him feel uncomfortable or unwanted. I've learned that I'm quite capable of living without my family and I'm willing to do that again. That's the message you can pass on to our dear mother."

"She's just worried, Callie. It isn't as if you are doing this the right way."

"The right way? What are you talking about, Aria? We are married. What more could she possibly want?"

Aria said, "Well, it's not as if you've had a proper Catholic wedding."

"Is that what this is about? She's angry because I didn't get married in a church?"

"Callie, you were raised in the faith just like I was. You know that if a priest does not marry you in a church then it is as if it never really happened. Worse yet you did not get your first marriage from George annulled by the church. You can't get remarried without that. You can't take holy sacrament because of this and that is what has our mother so upset. That's why she doesn't respect your marriage. It is built on shaky ground. I don't get all het up about that sort of thing but you know what it means to her."

Callie asked, "When did you find out about this?"

"She told me last night after we had dinner together. I wanted to know why she was treating Mark so coldly. I couldn't see anything he'd done to deserve the behavior and I was worried it'd push you away from us again. I don't want to lose you again, Callie. Our family has gotten distinctly smaller. We need each other more now than ever."

"We didn't get married in a church because Mark isn't particularly religious and I haven't been to a church in a long time."

Aria said, "I remember a time when you were quite devout."

"That changed when my faith and my family turned on me. All the talk of Christian love and the moment you commit a sin you're cast off like a leper. That kind of hypocrisy I can live without in my life. I still believe in God and his goodness and mercy. I just lost my faith in the humans that claim to follow him."

Aria couldn't exactly blame Callie for the way she felt. Being shunned couldn't have been easy.

"We have to find a way round this situation, Callie."

"No, we don't. She doesn't respect my marriage. She doesn't respect my husband. I'm fine living in Miami and never seeing her."

"Callie, what about Sofia? She needs a grandmother."

"She'll have one in Mrs. Shepherd. She is the mother of Mark's best friend. She adores Mark and she will adore our daughter. She will have a dozen aunts and uncles from our hospital in Seattle. People that love us so much and have been there for us when we were at our worst. My little girl will know the meaning of unconditional love. I will fight and break my back to make sure that every corner of her life is filled with love and joy. Our mother can be part of that but either way I'm not worried about it."

"Well, I hope you aren't writing me off as well."

"Of course not, Aria. I understand why you went along with our parents and you have been incredibly nice to Mark. I would never shut you out. You're my sister."

The server arrived at the table with their meals.

"I hope you enjoy your lunch and please let me know if there is anything I can get for you."

Callie said, "Thanks."

Aria started eating lunch not having anything constructive to say about the situation. Callie's mind was set and getting her to change it would be a bigger job than could be accomplished over lunch. Moreover, it was Lucia that needed to make amends.

"When will you and Mark start looking for houses?" asked Aria.

She wanted to try a neutral topic. Aria didn't want to start another argument.

Callie said, "We are working with a real estate agent and we've been looking at listings online. We're going to make a short list of properties we like and tour them after Papa's funeral."

"I never thought I would see the day when you would come back home, Callie. I am glad that you are staying."

"I don't know if it will be forever, Aria. Mark and I just needed to put space between the two of us and Seattle for a variety of reasons. Miami seemed like the best solution. I love it here and it will always feel like home to me. Mark's connections with a thriving cosmetic surgery practice didn't hurt either. We think that some day we will go back to Seattle," said Callie.

Aria was intrigued about what reasons they would have to flee Seattle. Obviously, there was something else going on back home that Callie was leaving out of the conversation. Aria began to wonder if Mark was as wonderful as her sister described. Carlos Torres used a private investigator to look into George O'Malley it might be time for Lucia to do the same.

"Well, I will enjoy having you and my niece here in Miami for as long as I can. I want a lot more days like today."

"Well, I will have plenty of free time. I won't be going back to work for awhile. I'm still technically recovering and being pregnant isn't the best thing for my health."

Aria looked concerned, "What do you mean?"

Callie sighed, "My body went through a serious trauma, Aria. It takes months and sometimes years to fully recover from what I've been through. I still have to do physical therapy and I tire more easily than I used to."

"I had no idea. I thought you were better."

"I am better than I was. I'm not in a wheelchair anymore. I can walk under my own power, but there are days when I feel weak. There are days when I am too tired to get out of the bed. My pregnancy is high risk. I've got no clue what my body will be like after I give birth. We're just taking everything one day at a time. I've already made appointments with doctors here in Miami to get the needed check-ups. I'll be fine."

"Why didn't you say anything? We thought you were better…"

Callie said, "It wasn't worth bringing up. Papa was sick and then he died. I wouldn't have brought it up now if you we weren't talking about my free time."

"When will you see these doctors?" asked Aria.

"I have several appointments next week. Mark and I will get to see Sofia again. It'll be great."


	17. Chapter 17

For the next two days, Callie kept her distance from Lucia and Aria. She didn't have the energy to fight with them about her life choices. Callie was beginning to wonder if she had romanticized her family while she was in exile. They always questioned her choices and she often felt like she was doing something wrong in their opinion.

Over the years, their disapproval helped fuel her insecurities. She couldn't blame anyone but herself for the disastrous decision to marry George but the desire for love and approval did play into her decision. She was always looking for something that she just didn't get from her own family. She was lucky to have found Mark. He gave her the love and support that she always needed.

Mark always looked out for her and he helped her figure out what type of doctor and woman she wanted to be. He could be juvenile and irresponsible in his personal life but he always managed to be there for Callie when she needed him most. Whether she needed a palate cleanser, a friend, a roommate, or a shoulder to cry on he was there.

Most importantly, when she was helpless and needed him the most Mark stepped into the breach instead of running away from the responsibility. She was starting to realize that she might be better off just having Mark as her family. Maybe all they needed was the family they were building together and the friends that loved them.

Callie was more relaxed than she had been since arriving in Miami days ago. However, she felt guilty for not helping Lucia and Aria with the last minute arrangements for the funeral. The women were busy as their relatives flocked to Miami for the funeral. Lucia had hosted dinner two nights in a row. Callie was sure Lucia made some excuse about her being under the weather. She just didn't want to put herself through that kind of stress for appearances sake.

The good thing about her hiatus was that she spent the time house hunting with Mark. They saw several houses each day and actually made an offer last night. Callie didn't want to get her hopes up but she fell in love with the last house they saw yesterday. The agent definitely saved the very best for last.

The house of their dreams was a one-story Mediterranean home in a gated community. The four-bedroom home had a pool that would be good for Callie's physical therapy exercises. The home office was large enough to do double duty for Mark and Callie. The neighborhood was filled with young professionals and families. The best part about the house was that it was only 15 minutes away from Mark's office. If there were ever an emergency he wouldn't be too far away from home.

Callie already had a million ideas about how to decorate Sofia's nursery. She could picture sitting in a rocking chair with Sofia as she looked out the large window that overlooked the pool. She could imagine their future in that home.

That was the future and it was bright but today she had to focus on death instead of life. Callie wanted just to go straight to the church but to show a united front she and Mark would be riding in the limousine with Lucia and Aria. Today wasn't a day to air her grievances or to make a statement. She owed it to her father's memory not to be a distraction on the day they laid him to rest.

The morning of Carlos' funeral, Callie began to stir around 8:00 in the morning. She reached down and rested a hand on her stomach. It was becoming a morning ritual to greet Sofia. The new mother wanted to establish a strong bond with her little girl from the very beginning.

Callie smiled brightly feeling Sofia kick against her hand. She gently rubbed the spot where she felt the kick. "Good Morning. You're awake early. I love you."

Mark kissed the back of Callie's neck. He rubbed her hip. In a groggy voice he said, "Morning. I was asleep until you started talking but I love you, too."

She laughed softly and elbowed Mark in the stomach. "Smart ass."

He grunted and laughed. "What was that for?"

"I wasn't talking to you, although, I do love you."

Mark opened his eyes and looked around the room. "Do we have a guest I don't know about or have you finally gone insane and started talking to yourself? Should I break out the straight jacket and thorazine?"

Callie laughed harder and took his hand. She placed his hand on the lower part of her stomach. "Just be quiet and wait."

Mark laid there for a moment wondering what Callie was going on about. He grinned excitedly feeling Sofia kick against his hand. He was in awe of the feeling. It wasn't that he'd never felt a baby kick before, because he had, but he loved feeling his baby kick. It made Sofia seem that much closer to them. He could hardly wait for her arrival.

Callie rolled over so that she was facing Mark. She said, "I can't wait until the next doctor's appointment. I want to do the 4D scan so that we can really see her features. I bet she looks like me."

Mark kissed her. He laughed, "I don't know. Sloane looks a lot like me. I have pretty strong genes."

"I guess you do have a point. She will be perfect no matter who she looks like. As much as I would love to lie here all morning, we need to get up. My mother is expecting us to show up no later than 11:30. I really do not want to start today off with an argument. We will go to the church at noon. The service should last from noon until 1:30. There will be a short graveside remembrance and then we will go back to my parents' house for a late lunch. You will get to meet all of my judgmental family. You are so lucky."

Mark groaned and begrudgingly sat up in the bed. He ran a tired hand through his serious case of bed head. His night of sleep had been peaceful, but then it usually was with Callie curled up against him. He asked, "Are you hungry? I can order room service while you get ready."

"That would be great, Mark. We have a long day ahead of us."

He picked up the room service menu and asked, "What would you like to eat for breakfast?" He skimmed the menu trying to figure out what he wanted to order.

"I don't care what you order as long as it is edible. Although, I wouldn't say to no hashbrowns if they have them. Oh! I would like some bacon, too. Scrambled eggs or an omelet would be nice too. And yogurt. Definitely need yogurt for the calcium." She kissed his cheek and climbed out of the bed. She stretched and yawned a little before wandering into the bathroom to start the day.

Mark chuckled and muttered. "I thought you didn't care what it was…"

Callie stuck her head out of the bathroom door and asked, "Did you say something?"

He laughed, "You heard me."

She grinned. "Well, I thought I could eat anything until I started thinking about breakfast. Don't blame me. I am in the innocent party in all of this. You can blame your daughter for this one."

"That's a convenient excuse. You can blame the person that can't speak. You are fortunate that I don't mind satisfying all of your carvings." He smirked and winked at her.

"Don't talk like that on the morning of my father's funeral. You're going to pique my interest in something other than food and that just can't happen."

Mark did his best to look chastised but then grinned. "And why is that?"

"I think that has to be against some rule of etiquette. I'm in mourning. I don't think a morning of debauchery is appropriate."

"Is it debauchery if we're already married? I mean sex between a husband and a wife can't be wrong. Can it?"

She laughed. "It is still debauchery it just isn't fornication. I am going to hop into the shower."

Mark groaned and laid back against the pillows. He wasn't expecting sex on the day of Carlos' funeral but he did have a libido that didn't like taking breaks. He took a deep breath and then grabbed the phone to order breakfast.


	18. Chapter 18

It was a bright and sunny day in Miami, Florida. Callie would have liked to be doing anything but going to her father's funeral. She didn't have the energy to deal with such a long day of sadness. She would have preferred to be curled up in bed with Mark all day watching television. It wasn't that she didn't love her father and she certainly wanted to pay her respects. However, she had not been around her family in a very long time and she wasn't looking forward to lying to them. Her parents didn't tell everyone that they disowned her. That would have forced them to explain their decision to save face. There was no way they would tell anyone about their family 'shame'. Now she would have to lie and make up stories about why she hadn't been home for the holidays. She could blame it on working all the time but even that would bring criticism.

Mark parked in front of the Torres home and turned off the engine. He turned to look at Callie and asked, "Are you okay, Cal?"

She smiled bravely and kissed his cheek. "I'm okay as I am going to be today. I'm not emotional but that could change at any moment. I have already dealt with the fact that my father has died. I've cried as many tears as I have to give. Now I just have to spend the day with other people pouring their misery and grief onto me."

He chuckled, "That's a unique perspective to take on the situation. I'm here no matter what. You can think of me as your shield."

"I know that sounds bitter but it is the truth. It was horrible when I was here making calls after Papa died. They of course offered their condolences but more often than not, I ended up consoling them. I know they were in shock because of the loss but that is how funerals work. They say kind things about the deceased and then lament about how much they will miss the person as if they could miss my father more than I miss him. It would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic. I Amy have to take you up on your offer to be my shield. You should be prepared to have lengthy discussion about your work as a plastic surgeon."

Mark laughed. "I can do that. I still have my speech from the last conference I intended pretty much committed to memory. I will bore them with statistics about the benefits of correcting cleft palates of adolescents compared to adults."

Callie leaned across the seat and kissed Mark. "Well, that is titillating subject matter. I am sure you will be the life of the party. Let's go inside. I just saw the drapes move for a second time. My mother is not known for her patience."

"Like mother, like daughter," Mark teased. He climbed out of the car and then walked around to open Callie's door.

She lightly slapped his arm and said, "I can be incredibly patient when I want to be. Thank you very much."

Mark closed her car door and walked with her up to the house. "I don't deny that but I'd like to point out that you don't want to be patient very often."

She shrugged. "Touché, but you love me anyway. Right?"

"I wouldn't want you any other way." Mark pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her.

Callie knocked on the door and said, "Into the breach."

Lucia opened the door and pulled Callie into a hug. "I am so glad that you are here. Come in."

Callie said, "Hi Mama. How are you doing?"

Lucia sighed. "I'm a complete wreck. A few of our relatives chose to stay here instead of a hotel. Like I don't have enough to deal with. They went out to get something to eat before the funeral so at least I have a moment's peace."

Mark walked into the house behind the women and closed the door behind him. The living room was filled to the brim with floral arrangements and there was a stack of sympathy cards on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry, Mama. Do you know how long they will be staying here?" asked Callie.

"Well, your uncle, Francisco, says he will stay for as long as we need him."

Aria walked into the room and scowled. "I think he's just waiting for Papa's Will to be read. I've caught him eying Papa's car in the garage. How are you feeling?"

Callie said, "I'm tired. Sofia likes kicking my bladder in the middle of the night. It is like her favorite pastime. Not to mention she's displacing my internal organs to get more comfy."

Lucia laughed softly. "The joys of motherhood. If you think Sofia is interrupting your sleep now just wait until she is born. You and Aria both had your days and night confused as babies. You'd stay awake all night and then sleep during the day. I thought I was going to go insane from lack of sleep. That was especially true of you Calliope."

Mark smiled and said, "So you were always a handful. Good to know. Maybe I could get a few childhood stories about Callie at a better time of course."

Callie laughed and lightly slapped his arm. "You don't need to worry about any childhood stories or I'll be forced to get some good ones from Mrs. Shepherd and you know how she just loves to talk."

Lucia said, "I'd love to tell you more about Calliope's childhood. Maybe in a couple of days we can all have dinner and I can even show you some pictures."

Mark realized he had made a mistake because Callie had no interest in dinner with her family. He quickly said, "I would love that as long as Callie is feeling up to it and I don't have a business meeting. Joining a new practice can be challenging in the beginning. I am still learning the ropes."

"Oh. Well, just know that it is an open invitation. I would like to see the two of you. Calliope, I can make your favorite."

"We'll see if we can make it, Mama." She squeezed Mark's hand knowing he was trying his best to get her out of a dinner she wanted no part of right now. Everyone's emotions were just too raw.

Lucia said, "We have some time before the car arrives. Can I have a word with you?"

Callie held back a sigh and nodded. "Sure."

The older woman led Callie into the kitchen. "I know that you've been avoiding Aria and me. Your sister told me how upset you were at lunch the other day."

"Well, if you know that then you know why."

Lucia said, "I'm just worried about you…"

Callie said, "Well, you are going about it the wrong way. Instead of hearing concern, it feels like criticism. You do not get to question the dedication or integrity of the man that stood by my side when you would not. Mark is my husband and he is a good man. He loved me when I was his friend and he loves me even more as his wife. Mark had never been the marrying kind but he married me. I didn't have to ask him or convince him. He proposed to me. He is Sofia's father so either you treat him with respect or you will not be a part of my daughter's life. I will not have her second-guessing her worth for her entire life like I had to. No matter what Sofia turns out to be I am going to love her and support her."

Mark walked into the room and cleared his throat. "The car is outside. It is time to go."

Lucia swallowed thickly and nodded. She looked at Callie before marching out of the room looking like she was on the verge of tears.

He sighed and touched Callie's hand. "Are you alright, Cal?"

"No. Let's go. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."

Mark and Callie were the last two to get into the car. The drive to the church was awkward as they tried to make small talk but the tension hung heavy in the air.

Luckily, the church wasn't very far away. When the car arrived, there were already a number of people milling around outside of the church.

Mark climbed out of the car and offered Callie his hand.

Callie took his hand and forced a smile. "Let's go talk to my family. Hopefully, the conversations will go better than the one with my mother did."

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I think it is fair to assume that they will go much better. I can be charming when I need to be."

"Yes, you can. There is my Uncle Luis. He's the best uncle out of the bunch. Let's go talk to him first."


	19. Chapter 19

Halfway through the funeral, Mark was anxious but he was trying to remain steadfast for Callie. He knew that it was his responsibility to support his wife in her time of need but it wasn't the easiest prospect under these circumstances.

It should have been no surprise to anyone that Mark wasn't really a fan of organized religions or churches. In fact, he hadn't stepped foot in a church in a very long time. It wasn't that he had anything against religion. He just never seemed to be living his life in a way that would be acceptable in religious circles.

Mark received enough judgment at work. He didn't think it would be beneficial to waste an hour of his life in church each Sunday to be with more people who didn't approve of his actions. At least at the hospital he was paid more money than the majority of the people scowling at him.

He glanced at his watch for what felt like the millionth time and held back a groan. Before they arrived, Callie promised him that the funeral would last no longer than an hour. At 40 minutes and counting Mark was ready to go.

There was one other small hiccup about attending this funeral. Mark recognized someone during the meet and greet before the funeral began. He couldn't remember the woman's name for the life of him but he knew for sure that he'd slept with her. He hoped that she was just a family friend but knowing his luck with relationships, the woman was probably Callie's first cousin.

Mark could only hope that the woman didn't recognize him. Although, his arrogant side doubted that there was a woman that could forget his legendary skills.

He was not concerned about telling Callie the truth. He had no interest in keeping secrets from his wife. Furthermore, he doubted that she would be angry with him. Callie wasn't that type of woman. She knew Mark and all of his indiscretions and she loved him anyway. She wouldn't be surprised that they were crossing paths with a woman he had sex with at some point in the distant past.

His worries were more about the scrutiny it might bring Callie. Her mother and sister were already suspicious of his motives and loyalty. He didn't want it to get around her family that he was a complete and utter manwhore. He was a reformed manwhore but most people would skip right over the reformed part. Mark could take the heat but he didn't want to put Callie under any unnecessary stress. Mark looked at his watch and again and then loosened his tie.

Callie reached over and placed a hand on his thigh. She knew that he was freaking out but wasn't exactly sure why. In addition, it was hardly the time to ask with Lucia sitting to her right. Her mother would not take kindly to talking in the middle of the funeral Mass.

Surprisingly, Callie had yet to shed a tear. She felt rather guilty on that front because there wasn't another dry eye in the house with the exception of Mark.

The large church was packed with family members, friends, and business acquaintances. It wasn't surprising seeing as Carlos was known to be a warm, charitable, and gregarious man. Lucia once described her husband as an open flame and the people drawn to him as moths.

Carlos Torres was the man you invited out for drinks or for a round of golf. He was the man you asked to be godfather of your child. The grief in the room was palpable. There were so many people deeply affected by the loss.

Lucia periodically clutched Callie's hand tearfully but she couldn't return the sorrowful look.

Callie had been truthful in the car that morning with Mark. She already cried all the tears she had to cry over her father. The grief remained but not the tears. Somehow, their tears only made her feel guiltier about the entire situation. Mark was not the only one discreetly counting the seconds until the funeral ended.

She didn't know if it was her time in exile from her family or just honest acceptance but Callie felt okay. She had an opportunity to say goodbye to Carlos even if they didn't get to sort out all of the bad blood between them.

Callie would have to figure out a way to love the father Carlos was and not wish him to be something different. She couldn't change the past, but she could choose how to let the past influence her future. Callie didn't want to hold animosity against the man that had given her so much and loved her in the only way he was capable.

She gazed at Carlos' casket in front of the altar. The ornate solid mahogany casket was covered with a white cloth. The Book of Gospels and a crucifix sat atop it. Callie couldn't help but think the regal look was very much something her father would have chosen.

Soon enough the funeral came to an end and Callie was peppered with endless hugs and words of encouragement. She suffered through nearly 15 minutes of that before taking Mark's hand and heading out of the church.

While they stood outside waiting on Lucia and Aria to come out of the church Mark asked, "Are you okay?"

She smiled. "I'm fine. Although, I think I should be asking if you are okay. You fidgeted like a small child the entire time. Do you have some sort of phobia of churches that I don' know about, Sloan?"

Mark said, "No, but there is something I need to talk to you about later. It can wait. I'm sorry about distracting you."

Callie kissed him softly. "You didn't distract me. Your constant movement reminded me that you were right there the entire time. I appreciate you coming here with me."

"There is nowhere else I'd rather be."

She laughed. "Liar."

He smirked. "Okay there are a million other places I'd rather be: surgery, skydiving, or at dinner with Derek and Meredith while they make mooneyes at one another. I would rather be getting a root canal than be here but I would never leave you to go through something like this alone."

Callie smiled. "I'm a very lucky woman."

Mark's eyes widened as the woman he saw earlier approached them. He had to admit that she was gorgeous but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what her name was. At least he now remembered when he had sex with her. That was progress.

She grinned. "Callie, I am so glad that you came. I know that you are so busy with your career. You hardly have time for us."

Callie said, "Well, actually I am taking some time off work until after the baby is born and maybe a little beyond that. I understand your career is quite busy as well. How are you doing, Elena?"

Elena said, "I'm great. I finally made senior partner at my firm. Who is this handsome man?"

"Oh, this is my husband, Dr. Mark Sloan. Mark this is my older cousin Elena Torres."

"A doctor marrying a doctor? Well, aren't you just living the dream? Somehow it doesn't seem fair," said Elena. Her eyes ran over Mark's tall frame appreciatively and lingered a little too long. "Did you meet him in Seattle?"

Callie said, "Yes, I did. Mark and I worked at the same hospital together. He's a plastic surgeon."

Elena laughed, "Well, if you ever need a little nip and tuck you have a surgeon on hand. He looks more like a man that might have lived in New York or Los Angeles. He looks like a celebrity."

Mark swallowed thickly but maintained his smile. Elena's decision to throw out New York seemed to indicate that she did indeed remember him. Now he just had to hope for discretion on her part. He had no interest in embarrassing Callie in front of her family.

Callie said, "He did live in New York for awhile before he moved to Seattle. Mark, Elena lives in New York. She's been there almost 15 years now."

Mark looked up hearing Lucia's voice as she exited the church. He kissed Callie's cheek. "Here comes your mother. I am going to let the driver know that we are ready to go."

She nodded. "Thank you."

Elena watched Mark walk away and unconsciously licked her lips.

Callie turned back around to face Elena. "Did Martin not come with you?"

"No, he had to stay behind to work on a case. He just couldn't get away. Tio Carlos would understand. He thought Martin's work was so important. You know he visited us just last month."

Callie felt a pang of jealousy but smiled through it. "Well, you know Papa always saw Martin as the son he never had."

"How long have you been married? I was shocked when tia told me you got married. I wasn't invited?"

"It wasn't a very big wedding. Mark and I got married at a country club with a few friends and colleagues in attendance. He doesn't have a very big family and I didn't want to overwhelm him with mine. Your wedding taught me all about massive family gatherings."

Elena said, "I looked like royalty but I was miserable the entire time."

Callie nodded in agreement. She had been one of Elena's eight bridesmaids. The wedding was a massive undertaking and cost a fortune. Callie definitely didn't want a repeat of that. She was happy with her intimate wedding. There was enough drama with Lexie's interruption.

"I learned by example and decided to keep it small. Besides, I was already pregnant. I hardly thought Mama and Papa would want everyone to know that."

Elena pretended to look scandalized and said, "Well, you certainly could have done worse than a plastic surgeon. When do you go back home to Seattle? We should get together for lunch while I'm in town."

"Mark and I are actually moving here to Miami. We put in an offer for a house yesterday. We've got our fingers crossed. I have a lot to do before we go back to Seattle to move our things. I don't know if I will have any spare time while we're here."

Mark walked back over and said, "Cal, the car is here."

She hugged Elena and said, "I'll see you at the house for dinner. It is good seeing Elena."

"It was good seeing you, too. It was nice meeting you, Mark."

He nodded, "Likewise. Cal…"

Callie smiled at Elena before walking off toward the car with Mark. She stopped halfway there and asked, "What's going on with you?"

He sighed. "We'll talk about it later at the hotel."

"No, tell me now. You are getting all antsy. What's going on, Mark?"

Mark ran a hand over his face and groaned. "Your cousin- I know her."

"Why didn't you say so? Where do you know her from?"

Mark shrugged. "I met her in New York years ago. I don't even know her name. What I do know is that I've had sex with her."

Callie's eyes widened. She asked, "How can you be sure? Surely, you do not remember every woman you have ever had sex with. That would be impossible or make you eligible for Ripley's Believe it or Not."

He said, "Some women stick out in my memory more than others. My first threesome. My first time in a car. My first time on a rooftop. My first natural redhead. My first time on a plane. My first time in a public bathroom."

"Does my cousin fit into one of those categories?"

"Do you remember that huge blackout in 2003?"

Callie thought about it a moment and then said, "Yeah, it blacked out most of the Northeast and parts of the Midwest."

He said, "I got stuck in an elevator with a very attractive lawyer. It was August and it was hot in that metal box without any air conditioning. Sex seemed like the right thing to do. It was hot blackout sex. I wouldn't forget hot blackout sex. I was hoping that she wouldn't remember me but…"

Callie just started laughing.

Mark asked, "Why are you laughing?"

"Because this is just so…you, but more importantly it means that Elena is an adulterer and she isn't going to say a word about your indiscretion with her. She was quite married in 2003. She got married January 1, 2001. She thought all the ones were romantic. I thought it was stupid but it was her wedding."

He visibly relaxed. "You don't think that she will say anything?"

Callie chuckled, "Her parents are as devout as mine. Adultery is a huge deal. She wouldn't dare say a word. There is a good thing in all of this."

Mark asked, "What could possibly be the silver lining in this situation?"

"Little Miss Perfect isn't quite so perfect…"


	20. Chapter 20

A few hours later Mark stepped out of the back door at the Torres home to get some fresh air. Callie's family was friendly but nosey and a little overwhelming. He found himself missing the Shepherd clan. He didn't have to try hard with them. They knew Mark and didn't require him to be anything other than himself. In this situation he had to temper his normally razor sharp wit. Being snarky with his new in-laws wouldn't gain him any favors. He listened to numerous stories about Carlos. Some of the stories were funny and others spoke to his determination, but most of them missed the mark for Mark because he only knew the man that shunned his daughter when she was near death. He believed that to be unforgivable. It was Mark that sat beside her bed thinking that she might die.

However, there were a few positives this afternoon. Callie seemed to be enjoying herself. She hadn't pulled the rip cord yet and made excuses to leave. In even better news, Mark managed to avoid Callie's cousin, Elena, the entire afternoon. She flashed a few flirtatious smiles at him but kept her distance the entire time. There was enough liquor to stock a medical convention. Last, there was enough delicious food served that he was certain he had gained a few pounds from the aroma alone.

He just had to make it another hour and then the dinner would be over and he could return to the hotel with Callie. He wanted to get out of this suit and into bed with his wife.

Mark took out his phone to check his messages. He was still waiting to hear back from Carmen, the real estate agent. She promised to call with an update sometime today.

Mark knew that Callie was in love with the house they made an offer on the previous day. If he was honest, Mark wanted the house almost as much as Callie did. He thought it was a good location and met all of their needs. Mark knew that it was foolish but he felt like this house was the first step in starting their married life off on the right foot. He didn't want to screw this up. Mark didn't want to hurt Callie. He didn't want to imagine his life without her. Being with Callie made him happy. Loving her was easy. He wondered if this was what people meant by marrying your best friend.

Moreover, he didn't want their daughter growing up in a broken home. He missed raising Sloane and was determined to be there every step of the way for this child.

Mark kept that in mind when temptations came his way as they often did. He was an attractive doctor. Women, and some men, were always going to come onto him. He had to decide if his libido was more important than his family. Mark found that for the first time in his life the answer was a resounding no.

He wondered if his desire to leave Seattle was just about Little Grey and Arizona or was he trying to put distance between himself and all of the women he had slept with over the years. Mark was hopeful that their offer on the house would be accepted.

He didn't want to rush and just get any house but they were under a time crunch. His new job was starting soon. Cristina, Derek, and Meredith were doing the hard work of packing up their belongings back in Seattle. He and Callie would only go back for a couple weeks to tie up some loose ends. They really needed a home in Miami to come back to after the quick trip out West. Mark hoped that they would be able to close on the house within 15 to 20 days. He was no fan of staying at the hotel. He had gotten used to living in an actual home now.

Mark heard the back door open and looked behind him to see Elena walking onto the veranda. If it wasn't so problematic he would laugh at his bad luck.

Elena said, "Don't mind me. I just had to come out here for a cigarette. There is no smoking in the house. Even Tio Carlos had to come out here to smoke his cigars."

She took out a cigarette and lit it. Elena closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply. "Long family functions make me want to chain smoke. How are you holding up in there as the new guy?"

Mark said, "Everyone has been very welcoming. I'm going to go back inside and check on Callie."

Elena said, "I know that you recognize me, Mark. I saw the spark of recognition as soon as you saw me. Don't worry I have no intention of telling Callie about our tryst in the elevator. She has always been touchy and I don't want to start any new family dramas."

He relaxed visibly and smiled. "Thank you for not saying anything to anyone. I'm trying to make a good impression here."

"Trust me they are all impressed that little Calliope brought home a doctor. She was always a little rough around the edges. Frankly, some of us thought she might have been a lesbian."

Mark nearly choked on his scotch but managed to keep it together. He said, "Well, Callie is a very accomplished doctor in her own right."

Elena asked, "Is she?"

He quirked an eyebrow and said, "Yes. Callie is a respected orthopedic surgeon. She has had her work published in medical journals."

"A surgeon? I didn't know. I don't think anyone really knows what type of doctor Callie is. I guess I thought she might have been a pediatrician or something. She was always good with kids."

Mark felt his irritation begin to increase. All he heard about today was Elena making senior partner. He said, "Well, Callie gets her accolades from her colleagues. She doesn't really need to get her ego stroked by her family. You should Google her sometime."

Elena smiled. "I wasn't attempting to put Callie down. Once she left for Seattle, she wasn't as active in the family circle. We don't know if she doesn't tell us. I wasn't trying to get on your bad side, Mark. If memory serves me right, you are a lot of fun. Those four hours in that elevator are hours I will never forget."

She dropped her cigarette onto the ground and stepped on it to extinguish the flame. Elena removed a card from her purse and handed it to Mark.

"What's this for?" Mark already knew the answer to his question but he was hoping Elena would use this opportunity to rethink her course of action. However, if memory served him right she was very much the female version of himself. It had not taken very much persuasion on his part that day in the elevator. In fact, Elena was the aggressor. He definitely remembered liking that about her at the time. It was not as attractive a quality right now.

Elena said, "I'll be here for the rest of the week. Maybe you can I could get a few drinks and reminisce about the good old days." She ran a hand over Mark's bicep before walking back into the house.

Mark looked down at the card and shook his head. Telling Callie that he slept with her cousin in the past was one thing. He didn't know how she'd react to learning that her cousin hit on him on the day of her father's funeral. Mark stuffed the card into his pocket and decided to deal with that later.


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning Mark sat on the bed watching the news and eating breakfast. He hadn't bothered to shower or get dressed since they didn't have plans. Mark was incredibly interested in staying in bed all morning. He rested against the padded headboard and closed his eyes.

Mark still hadn't found the right moment to tell Callie about her flirtatious cousin, Elena. Telling her at her parents' house would have been a horrible idea. He was well aware of his lovely wife's temper.

He looked at the bathroom door and figured Callie would be in the bathtub for a while. Mark decided this was the perfect time to call Derek.

He grabbed his phone and called his friend.

Derek answered his phone after a couple rings. He was just getting to work but still had some time before he had to get started. "Hey. How is everything in Miami? The funeral was yesterday, right?"

"Yeah, it was yesterday. It went better than I expected. Callie made it through the ordeal with flying colors. She is really doing okay. Callie's only complaint was about her sore feet. She decided to wear heels to the funeral. I didn't think it was a good idea but she's insistent on getting her life back to normal." He also didn't hate the way those shoes made her butt look.

Derek said, "I'm glad to hear that. I was worried about her. She has been through a lot this last year. Losing her father seems like icing on a spoiled cake."

Mark said, "You don't have to tell me but she's taking it all in stride. Callie is strong. I'm the one that might be in trouble." He scrubbed at his scruffy face and glanced at the bathroom door again. Mark picked up the remote and increased the television's volume.

"Are you having second thoughts about moving to Miami?" Derek asked. He understood why Mark wanted to leave Seattle but he didn't like it. They were friends again and he didn't want to lose his friend. Over the last few years, he witnessed so much growth in Mark. It seemed like he had given up on being Peter Pan. He couldn't stay a man-child forever.

He laughed, "No. I have already committed to the practice for a year and we put in an offer on a house. We should hear news from our agent today. We made a counter offer last night."

Derek asked, "What's going?"

"I slept with Callie's cousin."

Derek went absolutely silent. If this were a cartoon, there would have been cricket chirps on his end of the phone. He couldn't believe that Mark would do something so incredibly-well, Mark-like. "I can't believe this. I thought you were over being a selfish asshole that only thinks about his own happiness. Are you actively trying to sabotage your marriage?"

Mark said, "Whoa! Calm down, buddy. I didn't sleep with Callie's cousin recently. I slept with her years ago in New York. I bumped into her at the funeral and we recognized each other. I told Callie about it."

Derek laughed and then relaxed. "I'm sorry. I was having flashbacks to the old Mark. I am confused. Why are you in trouble? You slept with her in the past. Surely Callie can't be angry about that."

"It's okay. I should have phrased it better considering my history. Callie isn't angry about that but I don't know how to handle the new situation. Last night Elena, that is her cousin's name, propositioned me. I'm not interested but I don't know if I should tell Callie. I don't want her to be angry or suspicious. With Callie being at home all of the time, we haven't really had to deal with that aspect of life. My history…"

"While I understand your hesitation I think you are a little misguided. You need to tell Callie the truth. If her cousin decides to do it, and she sounds like the sort, then your wife will feel betrayed. She trusts you, Mark. Don't give her a reason to begin to question that decision. You've done nothing wrong."

Mark quipped, "Well, other than being a magnet for beautiful women that want to ravage me. It is a heavy burden to bear."

Derek chuckled. "I see that marriage has not shrunk your ego. You're not guilty of anything in this situation. Just be honest with Callie and everything will be okay."

"Thank you for the advice, Derek. You've always been better at relationships than I have."

"My success with relationships is debatable, but your success with Callie is not. She married you knowing some of your most interesting sexual exploits and she married you regardless. I do not think she will hold this against you."

Mark said, "Genuine panic set in yesterday. I just never want Callie to doubt me. I am tempted. I am always tempted. I like having sex with random women. It is fun but it isn't the same as having a wife that I love. I keep thinking I am going to do something to screw this all up, as I have done with every other good thing that has ever happened to me. I keep thinking about the pain that she was in when O'Malley cheated on her or when Arizona left her to go to Africa. I never want to be the cause of that."

"You are not that same guy. The old Mark would have had sex with Callie's cousin in a bathroom or a garage during the funeral. Don't beat yourself up when you didn't do anything wrong. Trust me, you will have plenty of time to beat yourself up for things you've actually done wrong. I've known you a very long time."

Mark laughed. He was glad that he decided to call Derek. Ultimately, he knew the right thing was to tell Callie the truth but sometimes he needed to hear the voice of reason. Oddly enough, Mark's voice of reason sounded a lot like Derek Shepherd. "I'll tell her. That's enough about me. How is everything back there?"

Derek chuckled, "Richard isn't thrilled that he has to find someone to replace you. He's been walking around with a massive chip on his shoulder, but he understands. He started interviewing candidates this week. Meredith, Yang, and I have been taking a few hours each day to pack for you and Callie. Although we never seem to get over there at the same time. What are you two going to do with your furniture? Are you taking it with you?"

"Thank you for the help, Derek. I know we're coming back for two weeks but I don't think Callie will be physically up to packing but she's stubborn."

"Very stubborn."

Mark laughed, "Exactly. I don't want her to overdo it trying to help me pack. We aren't going to be taking the furniture. We are going to buy new everything out here. It makes more sense than trucking all of that cross country. Callie wants to donate everything to an organization that provides things for battered women. It is easy enough because they send a truck over to pick up your donations. How are things with you and Meredith?"

Derek said, "We're still trying to get pregnant. Mer's getting frustrated."

Mark felt a little guilty. He stumbled into being a father whereas Derek was trying everything under the sun. It hardly seemed fair. He was certain Derek would make a far better father. "It'll happen for the two of you. You will end up with the most annoying smart child the world has ever seen."

"I hope so. I am worried that Meredith will get discouraged and just give up. Deciding to be a mother was a big deal for her. You know how toxic her relationship with her own mother was."

"There are other options for conception. You could always try using a surrogate."

Derek said, "I've mentioned it but Meredith feels like it wouldn't be the same and I guess for her it wouldn't. She wouldn't get all of the bonding and the experience of carrying our baby."

Mark thought about how Callie talked to Sofia every morning and played music for her. He often found himself talking to her as well. "It wouldn't be the same but sometimes the things we want don't come to us in a perfect way. I didn't tell Callie I loved her until after she nearly died. The crazy thing is I was going to tell her that day when she came back from picking up lunch. I was going to tell her but instead she was shot in a robbery. I thought I lost her and never had the opportunity to be honest about how I truly feel but I got a second chance. It wasn't a perfect story or how either of us would have wanted it but we are right where we want to be. I know it isn't exactly the same situation but…"

"No, I get what you're saying. I am not going to rule out surrogacy but for now I am going to support Meredith and hope it all turns out the way she wants."

Mark heard Callie moving around in the bathroom. "Sounds like Callie is out of the bathtub. I am going to talk to her about Elena. There's no time like the present."

Derek said, "It was good talking to you. Good Luck, Mark. Just trust her."

"Thanks." Mark ended the call and turned off the television while he waited on Callie to come out of the bathroom.

Minutes later, she strolled out of the bathroom wearing sea foam green maxi dress. She walked over to the bed and kissed Mark. "I thought I heard you talking to someone."

"You did. I was talking to Derek."

"Oh. Is everything okay?"

He nodded. "I called him for advice. Callie, there is something I need to tell you."

Callie sat beside him on the bed and said, "That sounds ominous. What's wrong?"

He ran a hand over his graying hair and said, "Last night while I was outside Elena approached me. It was innocent to begin with but at the end of our conversation, she gave me her card and suggested we relive our elevator encounter. I am not interested. At all. I just thought that you should know."

She laughed softly.

He asked, "Is that a good laugh or I'm going to break all of your bones laugh?"

She said, "I am not surprised. Elena has always been petty and slutty. Before she married Martin, she was a wild child. She embodied every stereotype about Catholic girls. I'm not saying you aren't a good lay because you are but it probably had a lot more to do with you being my husband."

"You aren't mad?"

Callie kissed him. "Of course not, Mark. I'm not even mad at Elena. She's pathetic. How hard up do you have to be to proposition your pregnant cousin's husband at your uncle's funeral? It is obvious that she isn't happy with Martin but she married him because that is what our family expected her to do. She has always found Martin to be boring and tedious."

Mark kissed her. "You are a very understanding wife."

"Of course I am. Oh, your phone is vibrating against my thigh."

"I need to see who is calling. It could be Carmen but we'll get back to the vibration thing in a minute."

Mark picked his phone up off the bed and looked at the screen. He answered the call and put the phone on speaker. "Hey, Carmen. Callie is here with me and I have you on speakerphone. Tell me you have good news?"

"Hi! I have great news. I just got off the phone with the seller's agent and they have accepted your counter offer. The house is yours and they will be ready to close in 25 days like you requested."

Callie squealed in excitement and then chuckled at herself. "What do we do now, Carmen?"

"I'll drop by to have you sign the last bit of paperwork and then we can get the ball rolling. This is contingent on the house passing inspection but I don't see a reason that it wouldn't. I can help you find a local inspector and get that done before you have to go back to Seattle."

Mark said, "Thank you for all of your hard work, Carmen. I know it can't have been easy with the time frame we gave you. What time should we meet today to sign the paperwork?"

Carmen said, "I'm free around lunch time. We could meet at your hotel."

"That's great. Callie and I were sticking around here today. We'll probably grab lunch at the restaurant. You should join us. Our treat. We owe you for all of your hard work."

"It was my pleasure. I love helping new families find their homes. How about I meet the two of you at 12:30?"

Mark said, "Great. We'll see you then. Bye, Carmen. Thanks again."

Callie hit the button to end the call and then threw her arms around Mark's neck. "We have a home! We bought an actual home. I think we might be actual adults now, which is good since you're almost 50."

He tickled her side and kissed the side of her neck. "I am not almost 50! I am nowhere near 50! Bite your tongue young lady. We should celebrate but you just got clean."

She smirked and wriggled until she was able to pull the dress off over her head. "We can get clean again later. I want to celebrate, too."

His eyes widened at her choice of lacey undergarments. "I love my wife. Come here."


	22. Chapter 22

Mark sat on the edge of the bed and put on his shoes. He looked up at Callie as she picked up her purse. "Callie, we're going to be going back to Seattle in a few days. Don't you think that you should at least call your mother before we leave?"

Callie shrugged and said, "We've been busy doing other things, Mark."

He couldn't necessarily dispute Callie's blatant excuse. The newlyweds spent the last couple of days furniture shopping for his new office at Kirshner, Herrera, & Associates. They also had to go through the time-consuming but necessary home inspection process. Their home passed with flying colors and their closing was on track for 20 days from now.

That meant they also needed to buy furniture for their new four bedroom home. Their goal was to have everything delivered the day after they closed on the house. Mark had no interest in staying in a hotel for longer than necessary.

Mark said, "She loves you, Callie."

"I know that she does. I think that is what makes all of this more insane. She loves me but she makes me feel like I'm do everything wrong. She has always been that way. We are moving to Miami. I'll see her when we come back from Seattle."

He walked over and kissed her softly. "I guess that is a fair compromise. We should get going. We have a lot of shopping to do."

Callie said, "All of the work will be worth it when we finally get to move into the house."

As they walked to the door Mark's phone started to ring. He looked at the screen. "It is Sloan. I have to take this."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Callie said, "I'll get the door while you talk to Sloan. Give her my love."

Mark kissed her cheek. "I will." He answered the phone. "Hi, sweetheart. How are you?"

Callie smiled softly and opened the door. Her smile fell away when she saw her mother standing there. "Mama, what are you doing here?"

"You would not take my calls, Calliope. I decided that I would just come to you." Lucia looked at Callie's attire and asked, "Are you on your way out?"

She nodded, "Yes, Mark and I are on our way to go furniture shopping. We bought a house here in Miami. We've been very busy trying to get everything together. We leave for Seattle in a few days. We have some loose ends to tie up there and we'd like to say goodbye to our friends."

Lucia said, "I know that you are angry with me but I would like to talk to you."

"I am not in the mood to argue, Mama. I am having a good day and I'm about to go shopping for Sofia's nursery. I don't want anything to bring me down."

"I promise that I am not here to upset. I've done some soul searching since Carlos' funeral. Let's talk please. I won't take up very much of your time."

Callie glanced toward the bedroom where Mark was on the phone and held back a sigh. She nodded and motioned to the couch in the sitting area of the suite. Callie had a seat in the armchair adjacent to the couch. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I am sorry that I upset you so much. It was never my intention. I was just worried about you. I have always worried about you-even when we weren't speaking. I know how much the decision your father and I made hurt you. Honestly, we thought you were going through a phase and then you would come to your senses. The longer it went on the more your father and I regretted our hard-line stance but we could hardly back down. It would be as if we were admitting our faith was wrong. It was just stubbornness on our part. We could have hated the sin and loved the sinner but we just didn't know how to back down after making a grand proclamation of disowning you. You will learn soon enough that as a parent you make mistakes. I love you Calliope and I love little Sofia already. I want to be part of your lives. My concern for you is genuine but I understand now how condescending it must seem when I hadn't spoken to you in more than a year before Carlos had his heart attack. Maybe instead of trying to run headlong back into the relationship we once had I should make an effort build a new relationship with you-a better one."

Callie said, "I understand how hard it was for you and Papa to find out I was gay. I know it was never the dream you had for me. I understood that. I also understood that it went against everything you ever believed. I never wanted you to put on a rainbow colored shirt and march in any parades. I just wanted you to love me. I was still the same girl you raised. I would like to try to build a healthier relationship with you but that means respecting Mark. He's my husband."

"You have my word that I will treat Mark with the utmost respect. He is your husband. He is part of our family now. I should be trying harder to make him feel more welcome. I'm going to make mistakes Calliope. All I ask is that you don't give up on me."

Lucia knew she had no right to ask for Callie's patience and understanding when she hadn't been granted the same. However, she hoped that her daughter's heart was just a little bigger and perhaps her head a little less hard than her own.

Callie said, "I love you, Mama. I'm willing to try for us and for Sofia."

Lucia reached out and took Callie's hand. "That's a lovely ring. I don't believe I ever really paid it any attention."

"Mark doesn't do anything by half measures. He had the ring made by the jeweler while I was still in the hospital. He proposed to me the day I was released."

"Really?"

Callie nodded. "I was so scared about what I would do when I left the hospital. I didn't have a place of my own. Before I was shot, I was living in Mark's one bedroom apartment. I didn't know how I'd be able to even move in his little apartment with a clunky wheelchair. Every time I tried to talk about what I would do when I left the hospital Mark would just tell me that he had it under control. I was scared that he would run away from the responsibility of having a wheelchair-bound girlfriend that had physical therapy everyday and might never regain full use of her legs. Some husbands would run away from that type of responsibility. Not Mark. He proposed as I was being released from the hospital. Instead of going back to his tiny apartment, he had already rented and moved us into a house that was handicap accessible. All of the furniture in the house was bought and placed with my limitations in mind. The first few weeks home, he had to help me in and out of the chair. He had to help me bathe. He had to cook for me and he isn't a good cook but he tried. I was so scared that at some point, he would realize that it wasn't worth it-that I wasn't worth it, but he never did. Mark was my constant companion and he went through every painful experience with me. When I wanted to give up because the physical therapy was so painful and exhausting he was there pushing me along. I truly believe I would have died without him because there was no one else that would have loved me through that situation the way he did. When you look at him…that is what I want you to see, Mama."

Lucia couldn't hold back the tears that were starting to fall. She never could have imagined the struggles her daughter went through. Callie could have died and Lucia would have had that stain on her soul. It broke her heart and she couldn't form words to express her profound remorse.

Callie looked around for a box of Kleenex and found one on the table. "Here. I didn't say that to upset you. I just want you to know the type of man Mark is."

"No, I needed to hear that."

Mark walked out of the bedroom with a tired expression on his face. "Callie, we need to talk about Sloan." He stopped walking seeing Lucia in tears. "Everything okay?"

Callie nodded, "We're fine. Are you okay?"

He said, "We can talk about it later."

"Are you sure? Is everything okay with Sloan?"

Mark said, "More or less."

Lucia asked, "Who is Sloan? I thought your last name was Sloan."

Callie said, "His last name is Sloan. His daughter's first name is Sloan."

"Mark, you have a daughter? Callie, you're a step-mother?"

Callie nodded. "Yes, I'm a step-mother."

Lucia finished drying her eyes and asked, "How old is the little girl?"

Mark cleared his throat. "Not so little. She is actually 19 years old. She'll be 20 in a few months."

"Oh."

Callie was waiting for her mother to say something insensitive.

Lucia said, "As you can tell I had Aria at a very young age. Are you two very close?"

"Not as close as I would like to be. Sloan's mother raised her alone. She didn't tell me about our daughter. Sloan found me when she was 18 years old. She's a great girl. She is in college now."

"That is wonderful that you are building a relationship with your daughter now. Better late than never," said Lucia. She looked at Callie with a small smile. "I should let you two get to your shopping trip."

Callie stood up and hugged Lucia. "We'll talk soon, Mama. I love you."

"I love you, too." Lucia kissed her cheek and then gave Mark a hug. Afterward she let herself out of the room.

Mark asked, "Who was that? And what have they done with your mother?"

Callie said, "I guess Mama realized I was serious about cutting her out of my life. That disowning thing goes both ways. Besides I explained just how amazing you are."

"Singing my praises hmm?"

She nodded. "I always do. What's going on with Sloan? You look like you've been hit with a ton of bricks."

"Well, Sloan is most definitely my daughter."

Callie raised a curios eyebrow. "In what way?"

"Oh, you know in the being sexually indiscriminant in her youth type of way."

Callie scoffed, "Your youth?"

Mark said, "Not the time for jokes or pointing out my very recent promiscuous past."

"This must be serious. Is she okay?"

Mark had a seat on the couch and said, "Oh, she's fine. She's been lying to me for months but she's fine. Sloan got pregnant. You know, again."

Callie's eyes widened with shock. "How far along is she?"

"I have a five month old grandson." Mark chuckled at the look of disbelief on Callie's face. "At least I'm not the only one with that look on my face."

"Why didn't she say anything to you about it until now?

Mark said, "She didn't want me to be disappointed in her. We went through the whole situation with the first baby and she thought I'd be angry at her for getting pregnant again. She said she just couldn't give up a second baby. I think she isn't coping well with the adoption but just didn't tell me."

Callie sighed. "A lot of women go through that even when they know adoption is the right decision. Women a lot older than Sloan. She said that she was going to that support group, right?"

He cut his eyes at Callie. "She also told me she was doing great in college and was happy. She left out the being pregnant and giving birth bit. I think it is safe to say she's probably been lying to me."

"Fair enough. Why did she choose now to tell you the truth?"

Mark said, "Her boyfriend's family found out he isn't the father of Sloan's baby. They aren't willing to help out anymore which means no free childcare. She can't go to school, work, and take care of the baby. She needs help."

Callie hated seeing Mark look so dejected. He had really tried hard to be part of Sloan's life. He made an effort to talk her once a week or at least text her if she was too busy to talk. Mark was paying for her college tuition. "Well, we can help her out with money. She doesn't need to worry about free childcare. We can pay for daycare."

"Sloan was calling because she wants to see me now."

Callie said, "Okay. We'll fly up to Atlanta to see her."

Mark shook his head. "She wants for me to fly her and the baby down here. She wants us to meet him. I think she just really needs someone on her side right now. We're really the only support she has now that her boyfriend's parents have bowed out."

Callie said, "Well, we can book her a suite here at the hotel and delay our flight back to Seattle if we need more time. She's your daughter, Mark. We'll figure out how to help her."

He reached out, took Callie's hand, and pulled her onto his lap. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"We're married now. I was doing this before it was even my job."

He laughed softly and then kissed her. "I should book a flight for Sloan."

Callie slipped off his lap. "You do that and I'll go to the front desk and book a suite for her. Hopefully, they have one available on our floor."

Mark squeezed her hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Callie picked up her purse and walked down to the front desk.


End file.
